Today’s increase in family caregivers means that about 78% of America’s workforce are also taking care of dependent family members. This ‘new normal’ means that employees will have child and family care support needs. Many of those needs are being addressed to some degree in the workplace setting.
For example, some larger corporations now provide geriatric care managers who can help employees identify the needs of their elderly family members. These managers can also help with the development of a care plan.
Some businesses, including not-for-profits, such as academic institutions offer flexible policies for family leave for caregivers, referral services for elder’s care and more.
The majority of employees in America who also take care of aged parents, adult children or young children are in the 40 – 60 age group and are commonly referred to as the sandwich generation. They often work hard at home AND in the office while also trying to make sure they are paying into their own retirement plan. It is not unusual under these circumstances that they also experience a great deal of stress.
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Because supervisors and managers are often the first line of response, they can help create company resources, including a library of webcasts and other useful tools that are relevant to the needs of their employees. In some cases the resources already exist but may need to be adapted to fit a particular employment environment.
Paying attention to this ‘new normal’ addresses individual employee needs and maintains productivity in the work place. Definitely a win-win for all concerned.
