Elder Caregivers Need Policies and Benefits to Change with Times

By Guest Blogger: Tony Deblauwe

Many of today’s workers are faced with a stressful caregiving situation as their parents become more and more dependent. Even if you don’t have an aging parent living with you, there’s a good chance you could be “on call”. Mom may fall and break her hip while she’s home alone; Dad might have a memory lapse and be found wandering the streets. As the emergency contact, you’re the one who is asked to come and sort things out.

If a health issue is ongoing, FMLA may kick in. This provides you with legally protected (but unpaid) leave to care for an ill family member if you work for a company with 50+ employees. However, when you pitch in to care for a mother or father in-law FMLA does not apply. So far, the law hasn’t caught up with the realities of elder caregiving. It’s up to employers to decide when and if emergency time off will be granted or if you will be fired for attendance violations.

Some Employers Have a Double Standard

Many employers seem to have a compassionate attitude about parents having to leave the office suddenly when a dependent child needs them. Part of this has to do with a wariness of being accused of discriminating against women. After all, it’s still usually Mom who gets the call to deal with a child-related emergency – even if both parents work.

However, employers don’t always view the elder caregiving relationship as a serious commitment. Apparently, they figure you can just get someone else to step in and take care of an emergent need. Unlike in the UK, there is currently no law protecting U.S. employees’ right to put family first in these situations. Employees can’t afford to wait for the law to catch up – they need to start negotiating for changes in the workplace now.

Start Advocating Early

Fortunately, according to statistics published by the Sloan Work and Family Research Network, over 80% of both large and small companies are willing to allow employees to take some time off for elder care. So, the chances of reaching an agreement are high. Just be aware that asking for “special treatment” on an ongoing basis isn’t the best approach unless you are also offering to give something back (e.g. take on additional responsibilities or accept a cut in pay).

Negotiate for Changes in Policy

Is your employer among those who are less inclined to grant emergency leave for workers with aging parents? You will need to make a stronger argument for why a change in policy/benefits will be good for everyone. With the aging Baby Boomer generation greatly increasing the demands on caregivers, employers can’t ignore these needs for much longer. Offering elder care related benefits, moral support, and flexible scheduling arrangements can actually increase productivity for employees with aging parents. It has also been shown to decrease absenteeism – and presenteeism (workers handling caregiving issues on the clock).

Here are some great links to research that clearly shows why companies need to revisit their stance on this issue:

Why It Makes Good Business Sense to Help Employees with Emergency Eldercare Needs

Report on the Impact of Corporate Eldercare Programs

Advice for Employees and Employers

HR’s Viewpoint on Elder Care Issues

Elder Caregiving Statistics

Hopefully, these resources will help you present a compelling case for why your employer will actually increase profitability by accommodating workers with elder caregiving responsibilities. After all, your parents were there for you growing up, you need the flexibility to be for them now.

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Mr. Tony Deblauwe

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
He is an award-winning and regular contributor to career social networks sites
such as Brazen Careerist and TrackAhead. He directs the Innovation
Committee for Career Directors International.

For more information on Tony, please visit: http://www.workbabble.com