Disability Insurance has taken a hit in the past few years.
Fewer and fewer employees are being offered disability insurance at their workplace due to several reasons:

1. It is costly for employers and, with the rising cost of health care; many employers are looking to cut cost elsewhere.
   Disability seems to be a likely target.
   
2. Many employees do not appreciate the need for disability insurance.
   The old adage, "nothings will ever happen to me," causes people to ignore the value of insurance that will pay them if they get sick or hurt off the job.
   
3. Due to downsizing, smaller businesses are impacted by the criteria for "group disability".
   Although group plans are generally less expensive, they also require a business to have 10 or more employees enrolled to be eligible.
   When a business downsizes to less than 10 employees, their "group disability" plan is often discontinued.
   

Thus, the dilemma, to purchase disability on an individual basis (quite costly) or to opt out.
There is one more option that I believe makes sense.
Supplemental Disability Insurance.
These plans are offered on a self pay basis.
The employer needs to offer it through an employment venue, however; only three people need to apply to be eligible for coverage.
The good news for the employer is that they do not pay for it.
The choice to be covered is decided by the employee and also paid for by the employee.
Please consider: the most important asset you have is your income.
We tend to insure our car, our house, our jewelry and many other possessions.
Why would you not insure your income? Recently I spoke with a gentleman who was cleaning the gutters on his house.
He fell from a ladder and broke both arms.
He was off of work for almost 6 months.
He would have been at a loss without his disability plan.
It helped him pay his living expenses while he was off work.
Accidents happen when we least expect them.
That's why we call them "accidents''.
Employees need to be pro-active and ask their employers to make supplemental disability plans available.
You are your own best advocate.
This is not costing your employer anything, so why settle for neglect of your financial security? Ask your employer to provide Supplemental Disability Insurance at your workplace.