Nothing is more personal or important than ensuring the health, well-being and well-being of those we care about most. For more 50 million adults In the United States, this takes the form of providing unpaid care support to family members and loved ones dealing with illness, disability, or other special needs. Caregiving can be rewarding and provides caregivers with a sense of purpose or meaning. However, caregiving can also have significant physical, mental, emotional, and financial impacts on caregivers — and lead to stress, health problems, and burnout.
National Alliance for Care and AARP report 16% The increase in the number of adult caregivers in the United States from 2015 to 2020, was primarily driven by an increase in need for care for those 50 years of age and older. More than one-fifth of Americans (21.3%) are childcare providers. COVID-19 has accelerated the crisis, forcing many in the sandwich generation to act as caregivers for their children and parents. As the pandemic continues and the population ages, the need for family caregivers will only increase, causing greater damage to caregivers and the workforce. Employers have a tremendous opportunity to support their workforce and help address the care crisis.
The impact of family care on the workplace
Caring takes time and effort. Carers can spend hours each week navigating forms and paperwork, transporting loved ones to appointments, coordinating care services, and managing a multitude of other responsibilities. They also frequently face complex family, legal and financial challenges. Because the sixty one% of carers, they’re doing all this while at work – and it’s having a devastating impact on them and on their company.
Caring is physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting for carers trying to balance care with work. For employers, this means higher school and healthcare costs, and lower productivity and retention rates. For example, during the pandemic, more than 3 million won people leave their jobs because of caregiving responsibilities. Millions of others have had to reduce or change their working hours to care for their children, aging parents, other family members and loved ones. The impact of these changes can be far-reaching. According to Fidelity Investments The American Caregiver Study 2021, 79% of family caregivers said caregiving responsibilities lead to financial, social, emotional or professional setbacks.
Strategies to support employee carers
Companies that recognize the crisis with care and act to create a workplace that helps solve it will have a competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining experienced, qualified and high-performing workers. . Here are some strategies employers can use to better support the needs of their employees as carers:
Encourage open and honest dialogue. Workers in industries are always under pressure to be productive and get more done. Family caregivers are often afraid to speak up in the workplace about their personal problems or ask for help for fear of being discriminated against, being treated differently, or disappointing a co-worker. Executive leaders should create an environment that fosters open and honest communication about caregiving challenges and solutions. Encourage managers to chat with their team about personal happiness and ensure that employees…
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