Job changes in India happen more frequently than ever. The average Indian professional now changes employers every 2–4 years. And every time that happens, there's one financial consequence that almost nobody stops to think about: the group term life cover from your employer ends the day you stop being their employee.

Most companies provide 3x to 5x annual salary as group term cover. If you earn ₹15 lakh a year, that's ₹45–75 lakh of cover you may have been relying on — without explicitly thinking about it — that disappears during your notice period and job gap.

"The gap between your last day at one employer and the day your new employer's group cover kicks in — typically 3–6 months — is when you're most financially exposed."

The solution is straightforward: an individual term plan that you own, completely independent of your employment status. It goes with you from job to job, through sabbaticals, through self-employment stints, through any career pivot you make. The employer's group cover becomes a bonus on top, not your primary safety net.

There's another angle worth considering: employer group cover typically provides a modest sum assured — 3x to 5x salary. If your actual income replacement need is 12–15x salary (which is the correct calculation for most people), you're significantly underinsured even when the employer cover is active.