The situation of “family caregivers” in companies raises many issues, including the challenges and stresses these individuals face in their job function.
The potential negative impact on their job performance and career advancement, and the potential financial and emotional cost to the caregiver employees and their family.
The majority of caregiver employees are in the prime of their lives, often having to balance their time between family, loved ones to be cared for and work.
This leads to absenteeism and mental health issues. Already, one out of every two employees misses eight to nine days a year.
There are potential solutions that businesses and governments could implement to support employees in this situation, such as offering flexible work arrangements, providing paid or unpaid leave for caregiving, or partnering with local organizations to provide respite care or other support services.
The goals of these solutions should be to avoid burnout, improve morale, increase retention, maintain productivity, a more inclusive and supportive work environment, and peace of mind.