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Don’t Make Employees Choose Between Work and Family

Posted on: January 19th, 2023 by New Benefits

Too often, the demands of caregiving force caregivers to make impossible choices between work and family. Caregiving responsibilities and the stress that comes with them take a toll on the physical and mental health of caregivers, and workplace productivity suffers too. In some cases, employees leave the workforce altogether when caregiving responsibilities become too great. With 20% of the workforce already doubling as caregivers, it’s clear that employees need support from their employers.

What Caregiving Looks Like

Caring for a loved one can be rewarding, but it can quickly become overwhelming. Its innate unpredictability can feel chaotic, and caregivers often go it alone, or have little in the way of a support system. Caregiving requires a significant time commitment, and this unpaid work disproportionately affects women. We often think of caregiving as elder care, but it also includes child care, and some caregivers are sandwiched between both. Sometimes, caregiving can mean helping a loved one recover from an illness or injury. Regardless of what any caregiving situation looks like, it’s a lot for one person to take on when already working a full-time job.

The Struggle Is Real

The reality is there are only so many hours in the day, and caregiving responsibilities can’t always be neatly scheduled into off-work hours. This leaves caregivers stretched in so many directions, with so few resources (time, energy, etc.), that they often feel like they aren’t doing an adequate job of anything. Their own well-being becomes a low priority and this can have serious long-term consequences, showing up as chronic health conditions like high-blood pressure and depression, or even lost opportunities in the workplace.

Employees Don’t Have to Go It Alone

The role of caregiver will never be an easy one to fill, but employers can ease the burden with supportive solutions like Caregiver Concierge. This benefit bundle helps employees to efficiently manage their caregiving responsibilities through three services: a full-service caregiving solution; a companionship and task assistance service; and a legal document creation service. Caregiver Concierge provides members with premium, full-service support from a dedicated, expert Care Team, develops personalized Care Plans with a focus on solutions, and offers ongoing assistance that adapts to changing circumstances for as long as they need. Care Companions by Papa connects those who need support with thoroughly vetted helpers for assistance with transportation, household chores, technology lessons, companionship, and more. LawAssure helps members create high-quality, personalized legal documents, including wills, living trusts, power of attorney, healthcare directives, and more.

Caregiving can be a heavy load that affects all areas of caregivers’ lives, including work, but  employers can empower their employees with this supportive benefit. Provide employees with resources they need, and avoid lost productivity with Caregiver Concierge.

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