When an employee at global consulting firm, Deloitte, had a death in the family, the firm allowed her to take time off to help his mother move into a long-term care community.
“It prevented her from feeling like she had to quit,” a company HR leader told SHRM Magazine.
When tech giant Microsoft wanted to take steps to improve employee morale and mental health, the company added caregiver leave to its arsenal of benefits.
And, when LaSalle Network, a prominent executive search firm, wanted to recruit and retain top employees to avoid becoming another statistic of “The Great Resignation,” the company added the Dari by Homethrive caregiving benefit to its arsenal.
“Without the proper help, it’s inevitable employees will feel more stressed when all caregiving responsibilities fall on their shoulders, which leads them to being distracted and not as productive in their jobs,” Sirmara Campbell ,LaSalle Network’s Chief Human Resources officer recently told SHRM Magazine. “It’s important employers figure out ways to support employees, not only to ensure they’re productive but to retain them in today’s extremely tight labor market.”
1 out of every 5 employees is doubling as an unpaid caregiver in the United States, but most remain silent about those responsibilities, fearing it’ll stunt their career growth.
According to the AARP, the average age of caregivers is 51, and more than 60 percent of them are women.
“Companies that are interested in retaining women will make this more of a priority,” said Jennifer Benz, SVP of Communications at an employee benefits and communications firm.
Homethrive’s co-founder and co-CEO Dave Jacobs told SHRM Magazine the strains of caregiving are why many people, mainly women, are leaving the workforce.
“They’re being pulled in too many directions. Faced with making a choice between career and family, most choose family… Leaders need to talk about the challenges to destigmatize caregiving. Make employees aware of the benefits you offer. Target the employees who are more likely to need to opt into things. Many employees aren’t even aware of what is already available to them. That’s a missed opportunity.”
Read the complete SHRM article to learn more.
If you’re ready to take a step towards supporting your employees who double as family caregivers, check out Dari by Homethrive.