A new report from the Rosalynn Carter Institute For Caregivers finds employers must do more to support employee caregivers. On this special episode of The Balancing Act, we’ll hear from Karen Kavanaugh, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at RCI, about this important study and what employers can do to help.
Here are some key takeaways from the episode:
- For many, caregiving is a second job:
- 1 in 5 American workers doubles as an unpaid family caregiver
- These working caregivers are spending 20+ hours per week on caregiving duties
- Caregiving is often a multi-year experience, with over half of caregivers spending 3+ years caring for a loved one
- Caregiving responsibilities have forced 1 in 3 employees to leave the workforce, which disproportionately affects women, minorities, and hourly workers
- Most caregivers are experiencing emotional strain and say that they need more help
- Employers understand the challenges associated with childcare for their employees, but there is still a lack of awareness when it comes to the challenges faced by those who are caring for a loved one who is aging, ill, or disabled
RCI offered some suggestions for what employers can do to better support employee caregivers:
- Adding a caregiving question module to employee surveys
- Establishing caregiving resource groups (C-ERGs)
- Reducing caregiver stigma by engaging company leadership, managers, and employees alike
- Training managers on how to support their teams through caregiving challenges
- Identifying gaps in benefits packages that may pose an opportunity to better support caregivers
Listen to our full interview with Karen Kavanaugh here:
