You have a stressful deadline at work, and your father has
awakened you every night this week. The home nurse doesn't
come on time, and your supervisor asks why you were late to work
again. Between taking your mother to doctor's visits and
responding to crises, you've missed a lot of work, and you
feel you're letting your coworkers down. Your parent needs
full-time care, but you can't afford to quit your job or take
time off.
Adult children caring for older parents face problems like
these every day. Work is a financial necessity and/or a source of
satisfaction for many. Yet the responsibilities of caring for
parents and others and doing well on the job often conflict, and
people who want to do both well can be caught in the middle. As a
result, at times they may be distracted on the job, emotionally
drained, and physically exhausted.
While balancing work and family commitments is never easy,
many have developed effective strategies that can help. In
addition, support for employee caregivers is becoming more widely
available from employers and other community sources. This tip
sheet presents an overview of the issues involved for employees
and employers. It also presents ideas that can help you manage
your responsibilities more efficiently and balance both of your
important roles more effectively.
Caregivers in the Workplace
More than 26 million American workers are also caregivers for
their parents or older relatives and friends. While they share a
common goal with their employers – maximizing productive
time on the job – they also take their family commitments
seriously. Although family caregiving can sometimes interfere
with workplace performance, many employers are sympathetic to
these demands. However, many employees are reluctant to be open
with their supervisors about their caregiving responsibilities,
fearing that it will affect their job security or career
prospects.
Naturally, companies are concerned about the bottom-line
impact of employee caregiving. Decreased productivity isn't
good for business, and some companies have begun to provide
support in the workplace for caregivers in hopes of minimizing
the disruption. For example, some employers have instituted
programs that provide information and referral to community
services, such as counseling, respite care, or legal assistance;
financial assistance for using community-based services such as
adult day services; workplace caregiver support groups; paid
leave for caregiver activities; and flexible time policies.
However, many working caregivers are on their own.
Since 1993, federal law also has offered some support for
working caregivers through the Family and Medical Leave Act. This
law entitles eligible workers up to 12 weeks a year of unpaid
leave for family caregiving without loss of job security or
health benefits. Although this protection is valuable, it does
not help those who cannot afford to take unpaid leave. The law
also has a variety of restrictions that exclude many from
coverage, such as company size and the amount of time a worker
has been employed.
Coping with Double Demands
Each working caregiver’s job is different, and even
within the same company different managers may be more or less
supportive of your situation. Consider the following suggestions,
and adapt those that might work for you:
Find out your company’s policy regarding caregivers,
and whether it offers benefits or services that could help with
your situation. Ask your employer if there is an Employee
Assistance Program. If you are uncomfortable raising this issue
with your supervisor, look in the company’s personnel
manual or other human resources publications.
Ask your human resources or personnel department to give you
information on the Family and Medical Leave Act. Have them send a
copy to your supervisor as well, if appropriate.
Take advantage of flex-time policies and consider asking for
a flexible schedule if a formal policy is not in place. If you
work for a large firm in which other employees can cover times
you are not there, or you work in a job where the focus is on
producing certain outcomes rather than being available at set
times, it may be easy for your employer to understand and allow
for your need to work an unusual schedule.
Offer to work a less desirable shift to get flex time, or be
willing to make up time taken for caregiving by working days or
shifts when most people want to be off. This flexibility on your
part shows your employer that you are committed to the company
and to your job.
Consider job-sharing or working part time (as many family
caregivers do) if it is feasible for you.
Whenever possible, avoid mixing work with caregiving. If you
have to make phone calls or search the Internet for information
related to your parent’s needs, do it on your lunch
break.
Manage your time well at home, at work, and when you must
take time off for caregiving. Strategies
to consider: Set priorities for all these areas,
then accomplish the most important items on your list first.
Delegate responsibilities at work and at home; others can almost
always take some of the burden. Pace yourself; don’t do so
much in one area that you can’t be effective in
another.
Get all the support you can from community resources. While
these can be important for all caregivers, those who also have
outside jobs have particular needs.
Take care of your own needs.
Strategies to consider: Pay attention to your
health now more than ever. Eat right, get enough sleep, and
exercise regularly. Try to make time for activities you enjoy
even when your schedule is packed; fun is important. Take a break
when the pressure gets too great; even a short walk or hot bath
can help relieve the stress. Talk to someone about your feelings
and needs – an employee assistance counselor, a professional
counselor, or a member of the clergy.
Consider talking to your supervisor or manager at work about
your caregiving issues. It’s better for them to understand
the reasons you’re coming in late or seem preoccupied than
to let them draw their own conclusions. Chances are that your
company will appreciate your honesty and sense of responsibility
toward your family and your job.
Be sure to thank those at work for the consideration and
assistance you receive. Perhaps you could agree to take on an
extra assignment or special project when you do have time, to
help someone else who has heavy family or other
responsibilities.
This article is adapted from materials
furnished by the AARP. For further help go to their website at
http://www.aarp.com or contact your local or State office of the
AARP.
