When people talk about the cost of a car crash, they largely tend to focus on medical bills and the cost to repair a vehicle. Sometimes, when a vehicle suffers damage extreme enough to compromise its safety, it becomes necessary to replace a vehicle, which is even more expensive.
People don’t always think about other costs, like the wages they would earn if they hadn’t gotten hurt. Even those who remember those missed days from work and consider the impact that they will have on their finances may not think about the unpaid labor that they do around the house and the impact of not being able to perform it.
If you suffer a severe injury in a car crash and can no longer maintain the home, watch your children or prepare dinner, your family will likely have to call in favors from others or bring in professional help. People are often shocked when they learn what the value of all of that unpaid labor they do around the house actually is.
How much is your work around the house worth?
Putting a price on your household labor may seem like a silly exercise, but it is of the utmost importance if you hope to negotiate a truly fair settlement. The first step in putting a price on your unpaid household later that you can no longer perform will involve figuring out how much work you do around the house every week.
Gender does play a role in how many hours someone works around the house. A woman is likely to shoulder more of the burden, even if she also works full time. The average woman spends 28.4 hours a week on housework, family errands and other kinds of household support. The average man spends about 17.5 hours performing similar, unpaid services.
Then, once you know the amount of time you spend, you need to look at the cost of hiring a competent professional for the same number of hours. Depending on the service you use, the end figure could represent a substantial amount of your household income, especially if you can’t work right now.
Just because it’s unpaid doesn’t mean it isn’t important
Providing care for children, cooking household meals, maintaining a yard and keeping a house clean for its inhabitants are all undervalued services that are of the utmost importance for the health and safety of your family.
Just because our society does not put much value on the work people do around their own home doesn’t mean you should ignore the value of your labor or how your inability to perform it might financially impact your family. Asking for compensation related to your inability to do household work can help you cover those costs and needs during your convalescence.
