It’s no secret that caregiving is often a challenging and overwhelming experience. But what happens when you have to juggle caring for a loved one with your job? For many caregivers, the fear of disclosing their responsibilities to their employer leads to a sense of isolation and guilt. This can be a difficult burden to bear, especially if employees feel like they’re the only ones dealing with this type of situation.
Disclosing caregiving to superiors or teammates can be seen as a taboo topic, one that is oftentimes left unspoken. This may be due to a fear of:
- Appearing unproductive or uncommitted to your job
- Being passed over for promotions or opportunities
- Appearing less reliable or competent than others
Whatever the reason, the result is the same: employees feel that disclosing their caregiving responsibilities will shine a negative light on them as a dedicated employee. And most of these feelings come from a sense that they’re the only ones balancing their caregiver and employee roles. But the reality is, caregivers make up a large and growing population in the workforce. In fact, according to a recent study by the Rosalynn Carter Institute, 1 in 5 full-time employees currently provide care for a loved one.
So how can employers create a culture of care that is accepting of these types of unique and stressful situations? Here are a few tips:
1. Encourage an open dialogue about caregiving.
One of the most important things an employer can do is to be open and understanding about employees’ caregiving responsibilities. Employees should feel comfortable disclosing their situation without fear of judgment or retribution. This can start with training team managers and leaders to identify signs of caregiver burnout, such as increased absenteeism or a decrease in productivity, including when to refer employees to HR for support.
2. Offer resources and support
There are a variety of resources and support systems available to caregivers. Employers can provide information on these resources, or even offer financial assistance for caregiving expenses. When disseminating these resources, it’s important to emphasize that the employees are valuable to the company. Make sure they know the company wants to retain them, even if they’re needing support for their caregiver role.
3. Create flexible work arrangements
Caregivers often have to juggle their job and caregiving responsibilities. To help ease this burden, employers can create flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or flexible hours. Be sure to offer this as an option to everyone on the team, though, so the caregiving employee is not singled out.
4. Provide paid leave for caregivers
Paid leave can be a huge help for caregivers who need time off to care for their loved ones. This type of leave can be in the form of vacation days, sick days, personal days, or highly specific “care days”. This will also allow employees to be honest about the reasons they need time off and open a dialogue between HR and the employee on the support that’s available.
5. Encourage employees to use their benefits
If your company offers any benefits that could help caregivers, such as mental health support, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or even a specialized family caregiving benefit make sure to communicate clearly and consistently that these benefits are available. These programs can provide a variety of resources and support for caregivers, including counseling services, concierge research, and sometimes even financial assistance.
By taking these steps, employers can create a culture of care that’s more understanding and accepting of employees’ unique situations. This will help to ease the stress and anxiety that caregivers often feel and allow them to better balance excelling in their careers with caring for their loved ones.
To learn more about the impacts of family caregiving in the workplace, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.