Grayce’s Post

Supporting family caregivers in the workplace is essential for both employees' well-being and organizational success. Discover strategies for employers to help family caregivers balance their responsibilities, reduce stress, and maintain productivity. #EmployerSupport #FamilyCaregivers #FranchiseOpportunity

"All of the leaders at my company have stay at home wives or partners." "My husband was asked by his leader why his wife couldn't take our kid to the doctor." "None of the men on my team took their full parental leave." "Sure, my manager SAYS they understand when I have to work remotely because my kid is sick, but I get the sense that they are annoyed." These are just a sample of the comments we hear from clients everyday and WHY WE MUST TRAIN MANAGERS! 💡 Recently the U.S. Surgeon General explicitly called out that employers should be "trained to identify red flags for stress and mental health challenges among employees who are parents or caregivers and to direct them to support. Organizations can also ensure parents and caregivers have equal access to development and advancement, to model the potential for career progression." ▶ This is exactly why are #ParentalLeave at WRK program includes a manager component that trains them on how to support, transition, and re-onboard employees before, during, and after leave. ▶ This is exactly why are most popular workshops are "Managing Parental Leave" and "Reducing Burnout & Overwhelm: Make Invisible Work, Visible With The Fair Play Method." Both of these workshops give managers and leaders insights and understanding so they can recognize and reduce burnout for employees. ▶ This is exactly why WRK/360 works with businesses to create cultures that support and uplift parents and caregivers. Yes, we do need policy and government support. Yes, we do need changes to how we access physical and mental health. And YES, we DO NEED employers to create workplaces that work for today's families. ~~~~~ 👋🏼 Hi, I'm Mary Beth, founder of WRK/360. Our coaching, trainings, and programs support and retain your working parents and caregiving employees from #parentalleave through #eldercare. ☝🏼 Hit the button at the top to subscribe to our newsletter or DM me to learn more! Like this post? Want to see more? 🔔Follow me and click the bell on my profile.

Thought of the day: Support family caregivers in the workplace. Earlier today I had the pleasure of being on a call with national Caregiver Advocates and naturally the topic of caregiving in the workplace came up. It was a breath of fresh air to get updates about workplace policies and solutions that are being developed to help family caregivers in being able to manage caregiving responsibilities while also working. The remote/hybrid work format allows for more flexibility so if a caregiver is able and willing to take a call while taking their loved one to the doctor, why wouldn't they be able to do that. This insightful article discusses points from Joseph Fuller's report on why and how employers can meet the needs of caregivers. #Caregiving #Workplace #Policy #CaregiverSupport

The article offered several recommendations to help organizations improve work-life balance and prevent caregiver burnout: - Embrace hybrid work for the flexibility it offers caregivers, but ensure to enact boundaries so that work-from-home employees can truly disconnect. - Create a dedicated Employee Resource Group (ERG) for caregivers to develop solutions to support people at different stages of their lives. - Adopt a concierge service to help caregiving employees find resources, such as nursing care for aging parents. - Allow employees to donate banked leave to a coworker in a caregiving crisis, or offer paid leave; alternatively, job sharing is another option. - Integrate work-life balance into the culture by training managers to support non-work needs. Clear a path to the C-suite that allows caregiving leaders to step away if necessary. - Make policies unambiguous and easy for employees to access online, so they understand how to use their benefits. - Leaders need to communicate the importance of employees using available paid family and sick leave policies when needed and without fear of career stigma or job loss. Interventions should also extend to frontline workers, not just those in offices. Many retailers, for example, do not allow their employees to access their cell phones during work hours. For caregivers, that means spending an entire shift worried about their spouse, child, or parent at home.

WHY would companies want to address caregiver burnout via employee supports? Check out this great article from The Wharton School on why caregiver burnout actually is an employer problem... and what employers can do for greatest impact. #employeeburnout #humanresources #caregiverburnout #employeeresourcegroups #hybridwork #parenting #workingparenthood https://lnkd.in/gUFK8uaM

This article struck a personal chord with me. To summarize, it talks about the importance of supporting employees who are also caregivers, shining a light on the struggles faced by many, including myself. Being part of the sandwich generation, I've learned firsthand the delicate balance required to care for my little one while also being there for my mother, who's battling dementia and a physical disability. It's a journey filled with both joys and challenges, requiring a constant juggling act between my personal and professional responsibilities. Reflecting on my journey, I'm reminded of how crucial it is for workplaces to foster a culture of support and understanding. It's not just about meeting deadlines and hitting targets; it's about recognizing the human side of our workforce and providing a safe space for employees to navigate life's ups and downs. And to be frank, sometimes (most times) it's cheaper to meet your employees where they are. Cultivating environments where empathy thrives and where employees feel truly valued and supported, especially during difficult times, can lead to not just cost savings, but also to a more engaged, loyal, and productive workforce. Investing in understanding and supporting your team members isn't just a smart financial move—it's the cornerstone of a thriving workplace culture that benefits everyone involved.

"Employed caregivers have two full-time jobs". The demands placed on employed caregivers are onerous. The majority of caregivers in the interview study “work” the equivalent of two full-time jobs: they spend an average of 36.5 hours per week in paid employment and 34.4 hours per week in caregiving (30.3 hours per week providing care and 4.1 hours per week commuting because of caregiving commitments). While a substantial portion (37%) of the respondents commit 40 to 60 hours per week to their dual roles, almost one in four spend more than a 100 hours a week fulfilling work and caregiving obligations. If you are a caregiver, work outside your home and want balance in your life you need to develop and continually tweak a “life plan” that works for you. Caregiving is often a gradual process. For many, it begins with the simple addition of a few extra tasks each week. Over time, these tasks become responsibilities and "suddenly" they are included in your life; every week, every month and every year. Before you really know it, you have become a caregiver. Most of us are not trained or ready to be caregivers. It is a chapter of our lives that most ignore until an emergency forces itself on us. Our personal biggest challenge is to survive this phase of our lives. How can we keep some sense or normality? How can we learn to keep our sanity, add value and be true to ourselves? How can we avoid getting burnt out? Finding answers to these questions is a personal journey. Only you will know what works in your life. #SeniorLivingAdvice #SeniorLifestyleCA #SeniorCommunity #SeniorActivities Caregiving has many rewards, but it also has many challenges. Balance comes over time. It comes with knowing that you are doing the best you can, with the resources at your disposal. You will be very proud of yourself when you are able to use the words "caregiver", "work" and "life balance" in one sentence with an honest smile on your face and a laugh in your voice. ---- Get the information and resources you need on Canada's largest Senior Housing and Services Directory: SeniorCareAccess.com

Caregiver burnout is a growing problem and it is having an ever-increasing impact on the health and well-being of employees who juggle care responsibilities alongside their day-to-day jobs. As this piece in Knowledge at Wharton from Assistant Professor of Management Stephanie Creary mentions, "Caregiving employees reported higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than their non-caregiving peers. They also struggled with the stigma of caregiving and worried about how it will limit their career growth." That means that employers have a unique and profound role to play in supporting caregivers in the workforce—to improve work-life balance for caregiving employees dealing with higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, and in creating flexible and thriving workplace cultures where caregiving employees can thrive. Read more in this piece—and listen to the corresponding podcast, which features commentary and insights from Guardian Life's Head of Equity and Inclusion, Jennifer Andrews, as well as Professor Ellen Ernst Kossek, distinguished professor of management at Purdue University’s Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. School of Business. https://lnkd.in/dB7dukNT #employeebenefits #caregiving #HR #futureofwork  

As a mom and a working professional, the days seem to get longer and longer. New research from HBS suggests that supporting caregivers actually keeps employees productive and engaged. Novel concept, eh? This article suggests seven tips for companies looking to support caregivers. My fav? Number 5. Check it out. https://lnkd.in/eprtk6_F

Valuing caregivers and giving them the tools to thrive in the workplace is better, not just for them, but for your business and for society. This short read has powerful statistics and suggestions!