What will you do when employees become caregivers?
Your top salesman’s widowed mother went down with a broken hip.
The one staffer your most important client listens to just got a call that her father suffered a stroke this morning.
And your administrative assistant didn’t come in because her teenager was badly hurt in an auto accident.
Your employees suddenly face real problems. So does your business. How will you juggle people and responsibilities — and, presumably, offer support — as your employees-turned-caregivers adapt to their new realities?
The answer isn’t easy, yet our aging population and common sense tell us more small businesses will face similar situations:
Ÿ The typical caregivers are mid-40s and up. They’re your most experienced workers and the most costly to replace, says Ron Moore, founder of the National Caregivers Library, Richmond, Va.
Ÿ The employer is “one of the key places” employees turn to when a caregiving episode hits, Moore says.
Ÿ Although the majority of caregivers continue to work full time, at least 60 percent make work-related adjustments as family responsibilities kick in.
If your business is large enough to be covered by the Family & Medical Leave Act, at least part of your response is pretty much determined. Qualifying employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to, for example, care for Mom and her hip.
The response in smaller companies tends to be more ad hoc. Yet, says Carol Nevin, a seniors-focused Realtor at Axelson Realty, LLC, in Northbrook, “The employer must be in touch with his, or her, people. You can learn a lot about what’s happening at coffee breaks.” That’s also a good time to “put the word out” about company programs intended to help caregivers adjust to their new family roles.
The problem is that most employers aren’t particularly good at helping employees deal with sudden caregiving responsibilities, says Heinz Brisske, a partner at Huck & Brisske, LLC, a Wheaton estate planning law firm.
The reason, Brisske adds, is that employers simply haven’t given much thought about what to do when an employee faces care demands.
Moore suggests flextime policies that might include job sharing and probably should include cross training; developing an internal library of caregiving materials; and investigating employee assistance programs that deal with stress management and crisis intervention.
In fact, Moore’s National Caregivers Library website, www.caregiverslibrary.org, has plenty of useful information. Click the “For Employers” tab.
Nevin has a wealth of information, much developed from her own experiences, intended to help families make decisions when it’s time to consider a senior’s move to a senior-living facility. You can find it at www.carolnevin847.com.
Brisske has solid elder law credentials and understands the often arcane laws dealing with seniors. Find more at www.huckbrisske.com.
Ÿ Contact Jim Kendall at JKendall@121MarketingResources.com.
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