Human Resources: LIBERTY MUTUAL SURVEY OF WORKING MOTHERS HIGHLIGHTS DISABILITY INSURANCE’S KEY ROLE

    BOSTON (May 6, 2010) - Disability insurance plays a key role in providing financial security for women on maternity leave and their families, according to findings from a recent national survey of working mothers conducted by Liberty Mutual, a leading provider of disability coverage. Of the 550 working mothers surveyed, 60 percent reported they would face financial difficulty within two months if they were unable to work and had no other income.

   However, the survey documents a gap between the number of working mothers who need disability insurance and the relatively few actually covered. Fifty-seven percent of the women surveyed had taken time off work for maternity leave, yet 44 percent did not have any disability insurance. Of those women with disability insurance, 65 percent said they could not have covered household expenses during maternity leave without coverage, while 56 percent said they would not have stayed out as long without coverage.

   These findings are especially timely given May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month.

   “Being a new mother and trying to balance work and home life is not easy,” says Nazneen Vimadalal, vice president, Marketing and Product, for the area of Liberty Mutual that provides group benefits. “Having disability insurance provides financial security and allows a mother to focus on her child, her recovery, and on returning to work.”

Closing the coverage gap is critical. And employers can play a key role in this by offering disability insurance as part of their benefits programs. In fact, among those surveyed who had disability insurance, 90 percent received coverage through their employers.

   To help employers and working mothers prepare for maternity leave and the transition back to work, Liberty Mutual developed a set of online tools and resources, which are now available on the insurer’s Disability Insurance Education Center Web site: www.libertymutualgroup.com/GroupDI

From the website, mothers and employers can access:
“Preparing For Maternity Leave,” a checklist highlighting key activities to complete prior to leaving work

“Getting Back to Work,” a checklist outlining what to do when returning to work

Additional information on disability insurance and statistics on the risk and financial impact of disability and employee absence

Links to other sources of information on pregnancy and maternity leave

“In this economic climate, not having disability insurance can put families at financial risk,” notes Vimadalal. “Disability insurance is an important benefit for all employees, but especially for working mothers. These resources can help employers and mothers plan for a well-organized absence and a welcome return.”

To learn more about disability insurance and return to work, visit Liberty Mutual’s Disability Education Center Web site: www.libertymutualgroup.com/GroupDI

Survey Methodology
Liberty Mutual surveyed 550 working mothers between the ages of 25 and 54 through Zoomerang, an online research tool. All survey participants worked full or part time—76 percent and 24 percent, respectively—and cared for at least one child under the age of 18. The vast majority participants were married or had domestic partners (78 percent), while 15 percent were widowed or divorced, and 7 percent were single. Liberty Mutual conducted the survey in mid-April of this year.

About Liberty Mutual Group
“Helping people live safer, more secure lives” since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group is a diversified global insurer and fifth largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2008 direct written premium. The Company also ranks 71st on the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2009 revenue. As of December 31, 2009, Liberty Mutual Group had $109.5 billion in consolidated assets, $95.0 billion in consolidated liabilities, and $31.1 billion in annual consolidated revenue.

Liberty Mutual Group offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, workers compensation, commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, general liability, global specialty, group disability, assumed reinsurance, fire, and surety. Liberty Mutual Group (http://www.libertymutualgroup.com) employs over 45,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.