Niall O’Sullivan
Chairperson, My Legacy
Did you know that, despite difficulties that can occur for families without one, just 27% of Irish adults have a Will in place?
According to 2024 My Legacy/Red C research, 27% is well below other countries such as the UK, where 44% have a Will. The Red C poll also showed that more than half (59%) of people surveyed aged 55+ have a Will compared with just 14% of those aged 35–54 and 6% of those aged 18–34, leaving a sizeable portion of the workforce without one.
Helping employees plan for the future
Of the respondents who didn’t have a Will in place, close to two-thirds felt unsure about how to make a Will while others thought it would be a complicated legal process. In fact, it is very straightforward. As part of Workplace CSR and HR, financial matters are often discussed. There is an opportunity for employers to provide information about making a Will and to advise that a Will is an important life document to have in place to protect and provide for loved ones.
40% of respondents say they
give regularly to charity.
An inspiring future for charity partners
We also see the positive impact corporate CSR programmes have on our communities, often developing close relationships with the charity and the communities they serve. In the Red C poll, 40% of respondents say they give regularly to charity. Of the respondents who have a Will in place, just 14% had included a gift to a cause they cared about. Well over half of the people who did not have a Will in place said the thought of including a gift to charity just never occurred to them.
Yet, it’s a beautiful way for employees who engage with a charity as a result of a corporate partnership to make a lasting gift to that organisation. CSR charity partners know that legacy gifts provide sustainable, shockproof support into the future and can attest to the inspiring impact gifts in Wills can have on their work.
Why not talk about Wills and the power of legacy gifts for causes you care about?
