Income Protection for Employees

"You just don't know what's around the corner"

How WageGuard Helped Glenn Focus on Recovery After a Devastating Car Crash

It was just another early morning commute in late November 2024 when Glenn’s life was turned upside down. Glenn was driving to work at around 5am, something he’d done countless times before, when another driver ran a red light and t-boned him at high speed. The impact sent Glenn’s car spinning across the road, narrowly avoiding power poles before coming to a stop just 200mm from a family home, a terrifying near miss.

“I was lucky to walk away from it,” Glenn says. “I had to climb through the passenger side to get out, because the driver’s side was completely smashed in. My arm was hurting straight away, but I had no idea how serious the rest of it was.”

Paramedics rushed Glenn to hospital, where scans revealed significant spinal injuries requiring emergency surgery. While the spinal team did a great job, Glenn’s road to recovery was going to be a long one, including extensive physiotherapy and months off work.

That’s where WageGuard came in.

“Without the worry of money, I could focus fully on my recovery,” Glenn says. “When you’re very sick or have a significant injury, the last thing you want to be worrying about is if the money is coming in. WageGuard alleviates the financial burden. Without it, it would be like adding another injury, a mental health injury, because of the stress.”

With any possible insurance compensation payment potentially years away, WageGuard income protection meant Glenn and his family could stay financially secure while he focused on getting better.

“Signing a form is as hard as it gets,” he says. “I’m just so grateful to have WageGuard as a provider. Their waiting period is much shorter than most other providers, and the claims process was simple.”

Without WageGuard, Glenn says he would’ve faced some impossible choices.

“My household income would’ve halved. You run out of leave quickly, and Government support just doesn’t come close. Honestly, I can’t imagine what we would have done.”

Glenn works in a demanding, physical job maintaining and repairing ships, some projects taking up to 12 months. “You’re always climbing around inside ships, always on your feet,” he says. Returning to that kind of work after a spinal injury takes more than a little recovery. Glenn currently attends physio three times a week. While he started off weak and with constant tingling in his extremities, his strength is coming back and he’s feeling optimistic.

“It’s a slow process, and it’s still too early to say when I’ll be able to go back to work. But thankfully, WageGuard gives me up to two years to recover if I need it. That peace of mind is everything.”

As an AMWU delegate who’s helped negotiate the last four EBAs at his worksite, Glenn has long been a strong advocate for WageGuard. Now having made a claim himself, he’s more assured of its value than ever.

“I’ve seen a few people use it over the years, for surgeries, recovery, unexpected illness, and now I’ve been through it myself. Income protection is a non-negotiable. I’d recommend it to anyone, no matter what job you do. You just never know what’s around the corner.”

Glenn

“You Just Don’t Know When You’re Going to Wake Up and Something’s Wrong”

How WageGuard Helped Jeff Focus on Recovery After a Cancer Diagnosis.

It was a regular day on the job in February 2022 when Jeff Lally scratched his face and felt something unusual – a hard lump just beneath his left jaw. After nearly three decades in a physically demanding job, Jeff, then 51, was used to bumps and bruises and didn’t think much of it.

By the next morning, the lump had swollen. Still assuming it was nothing serious, maybe a swollen gland, Jeff booked an appointment with his doctor. When the doctor saw Jeff’s neck, he didn’t hesitate and booked an ultrasound immediately.

Jeff was surprised by the urgency. “It felt like overkill at the time,” he admits, but he followed through anyway. The ultrasound revealed a tumour, with further testing confirming the worst: it was cancer. The only good news was that they had caught it just in time before it had spread to his lymph nodes.

Surgeons moved quickly, booking him in for surgery just 5 weeks later. Although the operation was more extensive than originally planned, leaving a scar from beneath his earlobe to his throat, the prognosis was still good. To be on the safe side, he was sent for further testing. The results showed that further treatment was needed.

In May of that year, Jeff began a gruelling course of cancer treatment: 35 rounds of radiotherapy and 8 rounds of immunotherapy. “It was really hard,” he recalls. “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. You’re not yourself, and you’ll never be the same again.”

His treatment and recovery spanned eight long months and took a heavy toll physically, emotionally, and mentally. It wasn’t just Jeff who carried the weight, his family felt it too, supporting him through the exhaustion, uncertainty, and emotional strain that came with each stage of treatment. He lost a significant amount of weight and skin on his neck from the radiotherapy. Isolated and exhausted, Jeff says it was a time when he just wanted to hide away and focus on getting better.

WageGuard income protection allowed Jeff to do just that. Even though Jeff had worked at the company for 28 years and had built up a bank of leave, it was never going to be enough to cover the entire period he needed off work.

“WageGuard meant I could take the time I needed to recover,” Jeff says. “It was a Godsend. I wholeheartedly endorse them. The claims process was easy, and Ashley and Greg were always supportive. It was simple to send through a doctor’s certificate, and the payments came through without issue.”

Without WageGuard, Jeff says he probably would have had to return to work much earlier, something that simply wasn’t possible in the state he was in. “It would’ve meant either trying to work when I physically couldn’t, or losing my income entirely,” he says.

WageGuard income protection not only supported Jeff through his initial treatment and recovery, but also allowed him to extend his claim. When he came down with tonsillitis due to his weakened immune system, he was sent back to hospital for a few days not long after his return to work. He was able to contact the WageGuard team and extend his claim further, until he was well enough to return to work again.

Now cancer-free for over two and a half years, Jeff has taken on a new chapter in his career, stepping away from the tools and into a full-time role with the AMWU. After 20 years as a union delegate, he’s now advocating for workers’ rights professionally, helping others access the protection and support he knows firsthand can make all the difference.

“You just don’t know when you’re going to wake up one day and something’s wrong,” he says. “That’s why income protection is so important.” For Jeff, WageGuard wasn't just income protection, it was a lifeline.

Jeff Lally

WageGuard was really good because whenever I had to speak to my consultant he just made it really easy.

Having 3 children and Clarke being the sole income earner, because of WageGuard we didn't have to worry about how the next bill was going to be paid. It was just a good feeling to know that I don't have to worry - it was just a normal wage coming in, our concentration was on Clarke, because that [the surgery] was stressful enough.

We didn't know after the first operations if we were even going to have Clarke with us any longer. Then during the recovery process, Clarke got an infection and had to have part of his skull removed. We had to have a nurse in the house for over 3 months.

You don't want the stress of worrying when your next pay is coming in, all the stress was gone with WageGuard. It was like talking to a friend. WageGuard allowed us to deal with Clarke's recovery 100%. There were no worries.

Clarke & Joanne Cody

Recently I had an accident that would have caused big problems financially if I had not had income protection.

At the time, my wife was 8 months pregnant and had stopped work so she could become a mum. The bills still needed to be paid and were going to get bigger with a new baby to pay for. We had budgeted for all of this and we felt quite comfortable that we would be able to cope with only my wage coming in, and we had a bit saved up to fall back on if needed.

It wasn't long after my wife stopped work that I was out riding a motorbike with a few mates, and had a pretty bad crash, from which I ended up with a badly broken wrist and busted shoulder. This we hadn't budgeted for, and after all of the surgery bills to get my wrist back in place the savings account was looking rather depleted.

Being right handed and with my right arm pretty much unusable, I was unable to even take the option of light duties at work to keep some money coming in. The surgeon had given me three months off work to heal and go through physiotherapy to get my wrist working again. There was no way that my company sick leave was going to last for that long, so we would have at some stage run into some real problems of not making mortgage repayments and other payments.

This is where Income Protection Insurance was a life saver, as they paid me 90% of the income I had made in the last twelve months including all overtime, and not the base annual salary I would have got without overtime. It was almost like I hadn't actually stopped work. I was able to relax and get over my injury, as well as enjoy my new born son without the issue of unpaid bills standing over my head.

I would strongly recommend getting Income Protection Insurance for anyone with an active outdoor lifestyle, it only takes a split second and you could end up in the same position I was in.

Harry Maxwell

Leon's Story: When Leon was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in 2022, he wasn’t sure how he could return to work. The 54-year-old boilermaker suffered a severe fracture to his right ankle, but complications soon emerged, forcing him to take extended time off work to focus on his recovery.

Leon submitted a claim with WageGuard Income Protection scheme, which supported him through this challenging period. Over the course of 15 months, he underwent three surgeries, including a bone graft, while enduring considerable pain and lengthy hospital stays for treatment and intensive physiotherapy.

During the first year, the metal plates and screws in his ankle couldn’t be removed, prolonging his recovery and healing process. Despite the pain and long recovery, Leon was very grateful for the vital assistance provided by WageGuard.

His case manager Greg provided the crucial support he needed. "Greg was fantastic. He really was on top of everything in my case and he checked in on how I was and what he could do," Leon shared.

Once the insurance payments kicked in, the financial pressure eased. "Without that support, I would’ve been in big trouble. Not a chance I would have made it. It helped pay the bills, and stay alive," Leon reflected.

Leon

William's Story: When William slipped and seriously hurt his knee, he had no idea what an ordeal it would become. A trip to the specialist revealed both of William’s knees were in bad shape and needed replacements. This meant being forced to take time off work. It would’ve been a lot worse without a safety net.

William was thankfully covered by WageGuard’s income protection scheme but delays in processing paperwork from his workplace added an additional layer of stress to an already difficult situation. Frustrated by the slow progress, William reached out to WageGuard for assistance and was put in touch with Greg, who quickly got things moving and some provided much-needed relief.

"They were there with me every step of the way," William said. "And I couldn't have asked for a nicer bloke to look after me." William kept Greg informed about his situation which meant he could liaise with the relevant parties and ensure that William was being looked after.

Living in a remote area of the Victorian bush has its challenges, including making doctor's appointments can be a logistical nightmare, but the WageGuard system was accommodating and Greg’s ongoing assistance made the process a lot smoother. The support William received after each surgery, which were more than six months apart, meant he could focus on recovery.

"We just spoke to each other, and I kept him informed as best I could. I think that was the key to it," William recalled. "As long as Greg was in the loop, he was able to help me."

William

I have been dealing with Jennifer and could not be happier with the way she has kept me informed with where my claim was at. Jennifer is very professional, helpful and an absolute pleasure to deal with. I am very appreciative of Jennifer's work and I can see that she is very committed to helping people with their claims and not making it a headache and for that, I thank you.

Rod Warren

Due to a recent medical condition, I needed to avail myself of WageGuard Income Protection Insurance. I found the experience was a positive one with the staff very available and obliging at all times. They were willing to answer any questions and queries and return my phone calls as promptly as possible.

Anonymous

Have been happy with service of both consultants I have dealt with, consultants have been willing to talk, not just yes/no then hang up. Consultants keep you up to date regularly with claim and payment status. You can hear the tone in their voice that they show compassion while discussing your health concerns.

Anonymous