A recent report published by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving stated that 29% of the U.S. population "provides care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member or friend during any given year and spends an average of 20 hours per week providing care for their loved one while continuing to work."
All of us remember Steven Slater, the JetBlue flight attendant that famously ended his two-decade career with an intercom burst and a slide down the airplane's emergency exit while enjoying a beer from the beverage compartment. What some might not know is that the incident was primarily caused by Slater becoming increasingly stressed while caring for his cancer-stricken mother.
For years, doctors and psychologists have recognized the effects of caregiver stress. Now, some employers are too. General Electric, IBM, PepsiCo and Tyco are among several employers that are offering support, flexible work hours, access to financial and legal advice, grief counseling, and offering caregiver support groups. Small Businesses have an inherent disadvantage due to their size in this area..so what can you do to help your employee that is also a caregiver?
1. Acknowledge the difficulty of what your employee is going through.
2. If possible, try to help them work out their schedule, either through weekend work or working from home.
3. Offer to assist them in finding a financial planner & family counselor.
4. Encourage them to take care of themselves-especially making sure that they receive enough sleep.
I would love to get your thoughts..email them to me at jdanner@peoplelease.com
No comments:
Post a Comment