Protecting What Makes You Proud

By Alan Waddington

The term “pride” first became linked with the LGBTQ+ movement in 1970. It symbolised self-affirmation and dignity; the desire to be accepted and appreciated.

Being proud of who you are and what you do is hugely important to everyone. Genuine pride in your achievements makes you feel upbeat and empowered, boosting self-esteem and supporting good mental health.

The source of pride for many is their work. Feeling what you do is worthwhile and that it makes a positive difference is becoming increasingly important, particularly for the youngest members of the workforce. 89% of Gen Z workers and 92% of Millennial workers consider a sense of purpose to be important to their job satisfaction and wellbeing[1].

Our recent survey with 2,420 working people backs up these figures. 70% of respondents said they take a lot of pride in the job or work they do, with more than a third (35%) strongly agreeing with this statement.

Delving further into the findings, it was really interesting to see how universal these feelings are across genders and age groups. Women take slightly more pride than men – 74% compared to 69%. 72% of Millennials and Boomers (workers aged 60 to 78) were the groups that took the most pride, but this is only marginally higher than Gen Z, where 67% said they took a lot of pride in their job or work.

Given that work offers such a positive boost, when people can’t work through illness or injury for a prolonged period of time, it is more than their pocket that takes a hit. Being away for a month or more can really start to impact your self-confidence, your self-esteem and dent your pride.

Nobody likes to think about being long-term sick or that it will happen to them. However, in a survey we ran last year with 2,000 UK adults, more than a quarter, 27% said they had taken a month or more off work due to illness during their working lives. Of these people the average time they have spent off was four and a half months. 23% had taken six months or more off work because of illness and 11% were still off work and thought they would never be able to go back.

Taking months off work due to sickness or an injury is far from uncommon. Due to the impact of being away from your normal life, your colleagues and the work that gives you a sense of satisfaction, the hit that puts in your own self-belief can make it incredibly difficult to return, even when you’ve got a clean bill of health.

Income protection can provide a vital connection with the outside world, showing you a path back to your old life. The financial support it offers eases any additional stress that comes with being ill and gives you that all important time to concentrate on your recovery.

The support services that most policies come with such as 24/7 GP virtual services or mental health, also provide crucial, immediate help to alleviate the self-doubt and anxiety that creeps into your head when you’re not doing the role that gives you self-worth.

Framing the discussion around insurance purely in financial terms ignores the vital role having this type of protection can play in providing the all-important pride that everyone needs to thrive. Everyone - male or female, in a relationship or single, homeowner or renter - can relate to this. Positioning the added value services as an integral part of the proposition rather than an afterthought will allow you to demonstrate the multi-faceted benefits that it offers that go way beyond paying essential bills.

[1] Deloitte Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey 2025