Caregiver support and “life leave” are among the benefits employees in large corporate organisations now expect.
With every single worker likely to be caring for someone in some capacity, top tier employers are stepping up their policies and entitlements to best support their employees through the various caregiving stages.
“The best talent want work cultures that support their roles as caregivers,” says Jodi Geddes, co-founder of Circle In, an online platform which gives employers resources to support working parents and caregivers.
“Employees are choosing companies based on family support, and it has certainly moved from a nice-to-have to a must-have in some workplaces.
“At the same time, companies are seeking benefits and policies that are going to attract the best talent and set them apart and position them as a family-friendly organisation.”
A “caregiver” is no longer just a worker responsible for an elderly parent, Ms Geddes told those attending our Diversity & Inclusion Network Meeting last week.
“The reality is that a caregiver is someone who cares for somebody else — whether it is younger children of their own, elderly parents or a friend with a disability. It’s so broad.
“If you think about your organisation, every single employee is a caregiver in some shape or form. It is important to think about how you define that role.”
In the US, the care economy — which includes everything from child care to looking after the elderly — is now a $648billion economy, bigger than that country’s pharmaceutical industry.
It has other costs, too.
A McKinsey study of nearly 10,500 US adults surveyed in 2020 and 2021 showed that during the height of Covid-19, unpaid caregivers reported increasing adverse mental health symptoms.
The group of people who identified as a parent and a caregiver of an adult reported consistently higher levels of mental health symptoms such as anxiety and suicidal thoughts than other groups.
In addition, a recent Circle In survey of more than 400 parents showed:
“Working parents are struggling,” Ms Geddes said.
“The past two years have been the hardest we have ever experienced, but the reality is that we are in a new world where the lines are blurred between home and work.
“Companies know they have an obligation to not only support their employees at work but also at home, given that the home environment is our new work office.”
Circle In suggests the following three steps to establish a caregiver policy:
A: Conduct an audit to understand existing workplace policies and practices for caregivers.
B: Identify what your caregivers need and value, and uncover the attitudes and beliefs towards caregivers.
A: Develop a clear definition of what caregiving means to your organisation.
B: Develop a caregiver strategy and/or policy.
C: Communicate this to staff.
“The communication aspect is probably the most powerful and the best way to have an impact,” Ms Geddes says.
“There is nothing more powerful than the CEO sending a message to your entire organisation that ‘we see you, we hear you and we’re now here for you’ in terms of providing the right support.”
A: Evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of your policies and practices.
“It’s one thing to have the support in place, but you’ve got to measure it and understand the impact.”
Every step counts, Ms Geddes said.
“You could start by implementing one area of policy, one practice and one measure,” she added.
“If you already have caregiver mechanisms in place, celebrate what you have achieved and build on it by expanding your offering.
“A lot of people I speak to — CHROs, C-level executives — don’t know where to start. That’s OK; just take that first step. Talk to a couple of employees who are caregivers about what their needs are. Run some focus groups. The minute you take that first step, everything else will follow.”
A recent Circle In survey showed that 42% of employers plan to expand or add care as part of their employee benefits.
Benefits now being offered by some employers include:
Nicola Street, Ai Group’s National Manager WPR Policy, said such entitlements are not possible for many businesses.
“If you’re nowhere near there, that’s fine,” Ms Street said.
“Focus on what you can do. Ai Group acknowledges that for many businesses, providing new paid leave entitlements may not be an option and is a matter to be considered in light of other challenges.
“Starting with an understanding as to why employees may require flexibility is a good foundation for building an engaged workforce.”
Belinda Woods, Ai Group’s Director of People & Culture, said supporting leaders to connect with their employees is important.
“Whilst policy positions and benefits are important, the real differentiator is creating a workplace culture where people’s life commitments are acknowledged and supported. It may be about the need for flexibility, the restructuring of work or the simple need for a conversation and understanding,” Ms Woods said.
Life leave — the ability to take time off work for reasons such as attending a child’s school event or accompanying an elderly parent to an appointment — is gaining in popularity.
“We’re seeing a real trend to life leave,” Ms Geddes said.
“Life leave is a great one because it is so broad, and it enables you to support your employees with any type of need. It enables you to stand out from an industry perspective and really show that you care for your employees. It shows you are there to support them no matter what need they have.
“The business ROI is retention. We all know the cost of replacing employees and we also know they are looking for these types of benefits and support. One in three now rates family benefits in their top three most important benefits.
“From a culture perspective, it is incredible to see the impact of employees sharing stories about how they use this leave.
“I appreciate it is a cost to the business but that cost is outweighed by the impact it can have.”
Supporting female workers through menopause continues to be important.
Circle In helps leaders have the right conversations and ask the right questions while providing access to resources for women as they move through menopause.
“Our research shows women going through menopause suffer in silence,” Ms Geddes said.
“It’s a really tough time. A lot of women say they find it more challenging than pregnancy.
“The more we can do to normalise the conversation and educate people, the better.”
The benefits landscape is changing drastically, Ms Geddes said.
“It’s exciting to see companies being innovative in terms of what they deliver. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach so think about what your caregivers value most.”
Click here for more information about Circle In.
Wendy Larter is Communications Manager at the Australian Industry Group. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a reporter, features writer, contributor and sub-editor for newspapers and magazines including The Courier-Mail in Brisbane and Metro, the News of the World, The Times and Elle in the UK.
