Supporting Caregivers Doesn’t Have to Be Costly or Complex
Caregiving is a workplace issue—even if it takes place at home. And yet, many HR teams and business leaders hesitate to offer caregiver support because they assume it’s expensive, complicated, or something only the biggest companies can manage.
But we’ve got good news for them: supporting caregivers at work doesn't need to be costly or complex. Small, strategic shifts can make a significant impact on employee engagement, retention, and overall workplace morale.
Here are four practical strategies you can implement today to support caregivers in your organization.
Encourage and create support groups. Whether via management emails or during staff meetings, or better yet both, managers should acknowledge that their workforce may be wrestling with caregiving issues right now. Help working caregivers set up support groups where they can exchange information, advocate for best practices and foster a sense of inclusion.
Audit company benefits and policies. Do benefits and policies support workers with parents as well as workers who are parents? If you offer backup childcare, do you also offer backup eldercare? Do you offer family leave, or just parental leave? Also, consider providing caregiving employees with stipends to purchase services such as caregiver coaching and assistances with household chores.
Revisit your flex policies, and/or consider implementing them. Even companies that can’t support work from home operations, should consider allowing employees to commute during off-peak hours, create flexible schedules, and job share so they have the flexibility they need to be available to both their families and their jobs.
Support managers. It’s not easy managing a dynamic workforce. Invest in training for mid-level managers in order to equip them with the skills and compassion necessary for leading a complex workforce. If they feel supported, they can better support caregivers at work.
Small yet meaningful actions can create flexible, supportive and compassionate workplaces that make caregiving and careers compatible.