As a business owner, looking after your employees is an important part of what makes your business a success. You need to be sure that all of their needs are being met, especially in terms of income protection and retrenchment insurance.
If you’re lucky, you may never need to retrench anyone, but if you do, having retrenchment insurance in South Africa can help your employees immensely in keeping debt at bay.
You can invest in retrenchment cover in South Africa in order to protect your staff. The retrenchment cover can provide your employees with a lump sum which allows your employees to manage any issues that might crop up while they are unemployed. It will also help with temporary disability cover should an employee be injured at the workplace.
Not sure if a retrenchment benefit is for you? Keep reading for more insight into why considering retrenchment cover for your employees is best for them and you.
It Can Help to Replace Their Income
If one of your staff members is the sole breadwinner in their household, being retrenched can have a devastating effect on their family’s way of living. If you offer them the option of income protection cover, this will replace their income while they are looking for other employment.
This will also help if they have permanent disability due to an accident at work and are unable to earn a salary for a certain amount of time. The benefit pays up to six months of income so that the insured can cover expenses. For example, your employees can use this money to make car insurance payments or rent payments while they are unemployed. This can help them to look for work without having the added stress of not earning any money.
Employees Can Maintain Their Savings Accounts
By offering retrenchment cover, you are allowing your employees to have better financial planning abilities, such as maintaining their savings accounts despite no longer being employed.
Your employees will be able to keep this savings account intact and rely on this money for its intended purpose. They can also keep this money in the account and use it when the income protector cover has run out and they are still unemployed. Be sure to speak to a financial adviser about how long your employees will be covered in order to adequately make plans for their future.
Planning for VAT and Petrol Increases
When you are unemployed, any increase in prices such as petrol or VAT can negatively affect your financial situation, so it’s preferable that your employees are able to weather any price increases without having to dip into their savings, or take out a loan they can’t afford.
But retrenchment cover will allow them to continue living their life, unaffected, regardless of these changes. While they might have to cut back on their spending, a VAT increase will not affect them as harshly as it would if they did not have any income protection. Being able to prepare for an uncertain future will ensure that your employees are happy and satisfied in their jobs, cementing their loyalty to your company.
It Can Help with Illnesses During Retrenchment
We can never predict what awaits us in life, which is why you should consider retrenchment insurance for your employees. If they were to become ill during the time they are retrenched, expensive medical bills will pile up, putting them into a further debilitating financial situation.
But, if your employees have retrenchment insurance, they will be able to use this money to pay for medical expenses. For example, if one of your employees has young children who need to be rushed to the hospital for an injury or illness, the retrenchment cover will allow them to pay for these bills without too much stress. Being ill while unemployed can become expensive and stressful, but you can alleviate this stress by providing cover for your employees.
It Will Show Them You Care
Having an employer who truly cares about them means that employees will be happier, healthier and more productive. And this is great news for your business. You can ensure that your employees are taken care of if you need to retrench them due to whatever reason.
Having loyal employees is not only good for your company but good for your employee morale too. You are only successful as a business if your employees are happy and willing to work hard to reach your company goals.
Retrenchment cover will allow them to be less stressed in their positions and will make your workplace a more productive one. Be sure to consult with your staff before making any financial decisions that will affect their future as their opinions matter the most in this instance.