Accommodating Childcare And Eldercare Policies As Employees Return To Work

3 ways to support caregiving employees

As companies bring employees back to the workplace following a year of Covid-imposed shutdowns and roll out new remote work policies, managers will be wise to recognize that there is no-one-size-fits-all approach to remote schedules, nor is remote work the panacea for all work-life integration issues - especially when it comes to their caregiving employees.

The past year greatly advanced our collective appreciation for work-from-home arrangements. In fact, several studies that analyze remote work, show that productivity overall is better when employees work from home than it is when they are in the office. Still, that productivity comes with a price, as more and more workers report feeling burnout from the stress of this past year.  No doubt contributing to that stress is the incredible balancing act of caregiving and career.

While we were all bombarded this past year with a seemingly endless supply of information about the challenges of childcare during Covid – working, living, and schooling under one roof - the challenges of eldercare have been equally fraught. Adult children have been under incredible stress during the pandemic as they moved elderly parents in with them, or worried about isolation and cognitive decline for parents in senior living facilities, or balanced safety and security concerns for parents aging in their own homes. And for those caregiving employees – the ones caring for children, or aging parents, or both at the same time, the stress continues even as the vaccinations rack up.

While it’s good news for family caregivers that many companies are considering some type of hybrid model – on-location work with some type of remote options available – employees’ challenges stem far beyond where they work. And it’s downright bad news that many CEOs are signaling that they cannot create a company culture unless their workforce is in their line of sight. That’s because, if we agree that culture is that intangible force that drives behaviors and interactions in the workplace, then for caregiving employees it must expand far beyond water cooler chats, staff meetings and outings, Friday happy hours, group lunches and stand-up briefings.

For caregivers, working an unpaid second and sometimes third shift on the home front, efficiency, clarity, clear communications, a sense of purpose, a respect for deadlines, and compassion for family, are critical to their wellbeing, their engagement levels, and their productivity – and those things can exist no matter where or when employees work. Keep in mind, companies lose $17.1 billion annually in lost productivity due to caregiving, and replacing workers who leave due to caregiving costs companies $3.3 billion.

So, how can employers best support and retain all workers, including those with childcare and eldercare responsibilities, as they create a return to office plans?
 

1. Survey employees. Understanding that there is no-one-size-fits-all approach to flexibility, savvy employers will survey their employees to better understand what remote options they think will make their work, and their life, most manageable. These surveys are a great way to identify who the family caregivers are too. While the average family caregiver is a woman in her late 40s to early 50s, eldercare is impacting more and more Americans each day. In fact, 40% of family caregivers are men and 25% are millennials, according to data compiled by AARP. Employers cannot assume they know who the caregivers are on their teams.

Employers can then overlay the needs of their workforce on top of business needs (i.e., customer service and delivery schedules) and create a remote work policy that is in the best interest of all.

2. Openly address caregiving – both for workers who are parents and workers with parents. Employers can signal to the family caregivers on the payroll that they want to take care and career compatible by talking about the impact of caregiving on careers. Many family caregivers hesitate to raise concerns about balancing work and life for fear of being pegged as unpromotable or uncommitted. Whether via company memo or during staff meetings, or better yet both, employers should start a dialogue. It is critical that these conversations start top-down because many caregivers are hesitant to reveal to their employers that they have caregiving responsibilities at home.

A report from Harvard Business School(HBS) that highlighted employees’ worries that caregiving would negatively impact their career growth said caregivers perceived, “harmful consequences, such as demotivation due to a lack of challenging assignments (54%), lower salary increases or bonuses (50%), and an unsatisfactory career path (46%).”

3. Set up caregiver support structures that go beyond remote work. Flexibility is one of the most helpful benefits companies can offer caregiving employees, but it’s hardly the only one. Employee Resource Groups, Employee Assistance Programs, and backup child and eldercare can all help an employee remain engaged and productive despite the demands of home and family.

This “next normal” we are entering, as a workforce, will be anything but for family caregivers. And, while not every business can continue to operate with a remote workforce, and not every job can be performed at home, wherever possible, employers should look for ways to allow caregiving employees to work where and when they can. Those that do may have to work harder to define their corporate culture, but they will be best positioned for success when they do.