An estimated 22.5 million Americans are balancing the demands of employment with caring for older or disabled family members. Although this can lead to increased stress and negatively affect job performance, employers increasingly are implementing caregiver-friendly workplace policies and strategies as part of benefit packages.
“Caregiving-friendly workplaces have benefits, policies and resources designed to help employees more easily manage the balance between work and caregiving responsibilities, and to support them in taking care of their own health care needs -- both physical and mental,” according to a report from the Office of Behavioral Health, Disability and Aging Policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “These resources encourage employers to adopt policies that create supportive workplace environments by getting leadership invested in culture change and innovation, while also focusing on inclusion for various types of family caregivers and reducing the stigmas that may arise for working caregivers.”
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The challenge, which already is substantial, is expected to grow because of demographic and social trends.
- Working caregivers provide an average of 64.8 hours of assistance per month, including hands-on help with daily activities such as feeding and household activities such as medication management.
- Family caregivers often pay for expenses that support the care recipient, such as home modifications and medical care.
- Family caregivers currently are estimated to comprise 20% of the U.S. labor force, a proportion that is expected to grow as the U.S. population ages and the demand for caregivers increases.
Expanding workplace flexibility policies can improve employee satisfaction for caregivers of older adults and lead to increased employee retention and productivity. Several organizations and state governments have created resources to help employers create caregiver workplaces and policies. Many of these resources encourage employers to conduct self-assessments and use surveys to better understand the needs of their employed family caregivers.
“Ensuring that family caregivers feel supported can reduce the stress of balancing responsibilities at home and in the workplace, and ultimately reduce the likelihood of the employee cutting back on hours or leaving their job,” the report concluded. “Even though employer best practices for supporting family caregivers of older adults have been identified by governments and organizations, more evidence is needed to support the efficacy of such practices.
“In the meantime, employers may want to conduct needs assessments to understand the specific experiences of family caregivers in their workforce. Employers can then use the information gained to identify next steps in improving support and workplace culture for caregivers.”
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
