During the several years that I was a caregiver, I was fortunate enough to work for a company that provided flexibility that allowed me to be fully present both at work and at home. Like many offices, ours went remote when COVID-19 first emerged and hybrid after the pandemic eased. Work-from-home days, flexible hours, understanding supervisors and paid time off allowed me to focus on my mother when she needed me and my job when I was working. Thanks to the support I received, I can look back with pride on my roles both as a daughter and an employee during that difficult time.
This November is National Family Caregivers Month, a good time to reflect on progress made in supporting workers who provide care for loved ones, as well as how we can better equip our workplaces and workforce for what many consider an emerging crisis.
Our society is aging, and nursing homes, assisted living facilities and home-care agencies are facing a labor shortage. The number of family caregivers is growing and so are the burdens upon them. About 7 in 10 working-age family caregivers are employed, according to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. Many struggle to balance their careers and family responsibilities. Those who juggle supporting loved ones with working outside the home more frequently report feeling alone and facing financial difficulty.
These workers are valuable. They tend to skew older, so they bring professional maturity, years of experience and often deep institutional knowledge to their jobs. They frequently have long tenure and strong loyalty to their workplaces, which makes them especially costly to lose.
‘A Care Movement’
Fortunately, more leaders are joining the conversation. Last year, U.S. News & World Report launched its list of best companies that support family caregiving, and the roster is impressive, with many well-known names including Apple, Bank of America, and Eli Lilly. U.S. Sen. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) has talked openly about caring for his father, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and has made helping caregivers part of his legislative agenda, calling for “a care movement that delivers tangible solutions.” The Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research in June announced the launch of Caregiving at Work, a multiyear initiative that will help organizations better understand and respond to caregiving-related pressures. Also this year, the Caregiver Action Network introduced Caregiver-Ready Workplaces, an employer-focused initiative designed to help organizations provide benefits that matter to workers who are caring for loved ones.
Employers that continue to allow remote work are easing the burden on their caregiving workforce. But many jobs in fields like healthcare, retail, emergency services, and hospitality simply must be done in person.
Progress has been uneven, though. Take working from home. COVID-19 led to a rise in remote work. But while many companies permanently adopted a hybrid schedule, others in recent years mandated a five-day-a-week return to the office, disrupting their employees’ caregiving arrangements and leaving them scrambling.
Remote work arrangements eliminate commuting time, giving caregivers precious hours back in their workweeks. For loved ones who do not require continuous supervision, working from home can give caregivers the flexibility to use breaks in their workday to help with meals, medications, and other routine tasks without significantly disrupting their work responsibilities.
Employers that continue to allow remote work are easing the burden on their caregiving workforce. But many jobs in fields like healthcare, retail, emergency services, and hospitality simply must be done in person. Telecommuting, while an important caregiver benefit, is not the only answer. There are many others that companies can consider:
Flexible work. Adjustable start/end times, compressed workweeks or reduced hours can help caregivers manage their responsibilities at home and still deliver high workplace performance.
Leave and time off. Paid family leave for caregiving reduces financial stress and can improve retention. Leave-donation programs can allow employees to donate unused time off to colleagues who need it.
Guidance on resources. Employee Assistance Programs can point workers to services like counseling, financial advice and help finding care. Centralizing these resources on company websites makes them easy to find.
Employee Resource Groups. ERGs for women, who make up the majority of caregivers, and working families can host workshops and access to resources and information. More companies are investing in ERGs specifically for caregivers, and this focus can also raise awareness of employees’ needs for caregiving-related benefits.
Support for professional help. Companies can provide financial benefits like flexible spending accounts or stipends for caregiving-related expenses. Then can also partner with organizations that offer backup care for older adults.
Tech tools. Benefits can include digital tools that help caregivers find peer support or professional services or can assist them with coordinating care.
Training and communication. Educating managers about supporting caregivers can help them respond with empathy in conversations and connect employees with resources.
Feedback tools. Surveys and employee listening sessions can effectively gauge workers’ needs and the issues they face such as scheduling pressures, difficulties finding care and barriers to using caregiving resources.
Communication Needs
It’s important to note that simply offering the benefits isn’t enough. Employers must communicate about them effectively.
Communication should be ongoing, not just at open enrollment, so resources and benefits will be top of mind when employees need it. Caregiving should be part of regular wellness communications, manager discussions and employee resource group topics. Including caregiving in wellness and benefits communication sends a strong, continuous message that support is available.
We must also consider the language that people use to describe their experiences, both in conversations with others and in their own heads. Many people who do housework for their parents or other loved ones, take them to doctor’s appointments or run errands for them don’t necessarily think of themselves as caregivers. They just regard themselves as daughters and sons, nieces and nephews, and spouses helping out their families. Specific descriptions such as “caring for an ill spouse or an older parent” can be more inclusive.
Many people who do housework for their parents or other loved ones, take them to doctor’s appointments or run errands for them don’t necessarily think of themselves as caregivers.
Many employees don’t feel comfortable talking about their caregiving experiences, fearing it will negatively affect how they’re viewed professionally. Two-thirds of respondents to a Care.com sandwich generation survey said they’ve hidden the extent of their caregiving from their employers, and more than half worry their company sees them as less than committed. Leaders can make employees feel more comfortable sharing their challenges with open discussion about their commitment to supporting families, and even by sharing their own experiences.
Those of us who have navigated the caregiving journey have learned a lot of skills along the way: Time management, prioritization, problem solving, communication, and advocacy are among them. Those same skills make us valuable employees. Companies that support caregivers are making a strong investment in their workforce that pays off in morale and engagement, retention, and overall productivity.
Sandra Pedicini works in corporate communications, writes and speaks about aging and caregiving issues, and serves as a caregiver mentor.
Photo credit: Shutterstock/Pikselstock
