The COVID-19 pandemic forced many people into new roles and new situations, including millions of people who suddenly became work-from-home caregivers to a loved one.
Now, as offices re-open and new vaccination policies are set, many are dealing with an internal debate of refocusing on their careers while juggling caregiving requirements at home.
A Homethrive survey of caregivers found 43 percent are distracted, worried, or focused on caregiving, and not their jobs, five or more hours per week, while 20 percent are distracted at work more than 9 hours per week.
That’s a major time commitment, especially when you couple it with returning to the office in this “new world.”
Workers may find it even more stressful if they have concerns about a loved one who could be more susceptible to COVID-19 complications.
Your employees are taking stock of their new situation. What will the new office environment look like and how safe and comfortable will they feel? How flexible are the hours and what opportunities are there to continue working from home? A return to the traditional Monday to Friday 9-to-5 office job may no longer work, and a job search, on top of caregiving, could lead to even more stress.
Nearly 20 percent of caregivers returning to work say they expect “great difficulty” in returning to work, according to a new AARP survey.
As an employer, you’ll need to be mindful of these struggles. Because many workers aren’t openly discussing them, you may not even know there’s an issue until it’s too late.
If you aren’t offering a caregiving benefit, such as one provided by Homethrive, you should consider adding one. Easing the stressful burden of unpaid caregiving will go a long way to setting your company up for success as we hopefully put the pandemic behind us.