When it comes to employee benefits, most companies think of standard health insurance. These plans provide coverage to employees for visits to doctor’s offices, hospitals and specialists.

In recent years, a major focus of employee-sponsored health plans is on the expansion of these packages to cover things such as mental health care, physical fitness and wellness, unlimited PTO and retirement savings plans.

Yet, one thing that isn’t discussed nearly enough is disability coverage. In this article, we’ll detail what these benefits are and why it’s important to offer disability coverage to your employees.

What is Disability Coverage?

Disability coverage is a health benefit that helps employees maintain at least some of their income if they are not able to work because of a serious injury or illness. Some examples include suffering from depression or anxiety, chronic illnesses, injuries such as broken bones or even pregnancy.

The incident in question does not have to occur on the job in order for the employee to receive the disability benefits, either.

What they essentially do is offer your employees a safety net should they ever suffer from a qualifying illness, injury or event. While disability coverage may not replace an employee’s income completely, it still should give them enough money to help them pay their bills while they can’t work.

Disability benefits can include both short-term and long-term insurance. It can also include other plans such as paid leave, long-term care and workers’ compensation.

Employers may be required to participate in some of these programs from a federal or state standpoint, though many disability insurance plans are voluntary.

Why Are Disability Benefits Important?

In 2025, the Social Security Administration released a report that stated that about 25% of “today’s 20 year-olds” will become disabled before they turn 67 years old. Some of these people will even become permanently disabled.

The report also found that 65% of all workers in the private sector don’t have long-term disability insurance.

This is all happening, of course, at a time when people have less and less disposable income available to them. A 2024 study conducted by Empower found that 37% of Americans couldn’t afford an unexpected expense greater than $400, with 21% of all families having no emergency savings.

For most individuals, losing all of their income for even a short period of time, then, could be financially catastrophic. Even if they could “weather the storm” at first, many would be unable to do so over the long term.

This is the main reason why disability coverage is so beneficial to employees: It helps keep them above water while they are recovering, recouping or dealing with a health issue.

They aren’t permanent solutions, of course, but rather short-term bridges to avoid disaster.

What Role Do Employers Have with Disability Coverage?

Employers play a vital role in their employees’ well-being, especially from a financial perspective. As we can see from the above, this goes beyond just providing workers with a salary and standard benefits.

Offering disability coverage to your employees will show them that you care and that you want them to take whatever time they need to handle whatever ails them. If an employee has disability coverage, they are more likely to take time away from the office rather than try to work through it.

Employers play a bigger role than just offering disability coverage, though. They must also be educators about what disability coverage is and advocates for why it’s so important.

This is because even when employees are offered disability coverage, some will still decline to take advantage of it. If your company decides to offer voluntary disability coverage, then, it’s your responsibility to shed light on why it’s an important and advantageous benefit to have.

After all, employers today must take an active role in their employees’ well-being rather than a passive one.

Offer Disability Coverage to Your Employees with Beckham Ellis Insurance Group

Offering disability coverage to your employees is a great way to show them that you care about their overall well-being, and not just their time at the workplace. It can serve as an amazing recruitment and retention tool for HR departments, as your company seeks to attract the best and brightest.

Disability coverage can be complicated, though, with all the different options available. By working with Beckham Ellis Insurance Group, you can better understand what options are available to you and what is best to offer your employees.

Companies located in the South Carolina or Georgia region should contact us today to learn more.