More than eight in 10 workers think not being able to work due to illness or injury would damage their personal confidence.
In all a third believed it would have a major impact and only 8% thought it would have no effect at all, the survey of 2,612 working adults for Cirencester Friendly found.
While the majority in all generations believed being unable to work through ill health would affect their personal confidence, millennial workers, born between 1981 and 1996, were the ones saying they would be impacted the most.
Of those, 91% believed it would have an effect and a third (37%) thought it would have a major impact. This was significantly higher than for Gen Zs born between 1997 and 2012, with just 23% saying it would have a major impact.
When it comes to associating a sense of purpose with work, millennials again were the ones most likely to concur with this sentiment.
More than four in 10 (45%) strongly agreed, which was notably higher than for Gen Zs (36%) and especially Gen Xs born between 1965 and 1980 (30%).
But the research found women’s personal confidence would be more likely to be affected than men – 38% believed it would have a major impact compared to 28% of men. Just 6% of women thought it would have no effect at all.
Women were also slightly more likely than men to agree that work provides them with a sense of purpose – 75% agreed with this statement compared to 69% of men.
Alan Waddington, director of distribution at Cirencester Friendly, (pictured) said: “Work has a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves and our worth.
“These results show that it is millennials, those people currently aged 28 to 43, who feel this most keenly. This is the generation that are likely to be settled in their careers with retirement still a far-off prospect.
“Work is often what defines them and if they are unable to play an active role in the economy due to illness or injury, they are likely to be deeply affected. To help them recover fully, it’s important we acknowledge this impact on their emotions.
“This strong connection between work and self-esteem is why we’ve invested in providing additional support to claimants of all ages, providing extra services to help build their confidence and ensure when they are physically able to return to work, they are mentally fit to do so too.”
