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“THE MAJORITY OF ORGANIZATIONS USE THEIR REWARDS AND
RECOGNITION PROGRAMS TO INCREASE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT.
IF THIS IS THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAM, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT WHAT DRIVES ENGAGEMENT.”
ONE IN FOUR “DAUGHTERS IN
THE WORKPLACE” EXPERIENCE
STIGMA DUE TO CAREGIVING
A new survey by Home Instead, Inc.,
franchisor of the Home Instead Senior
Care® network, found that half of working
female caregivers feel they have to
choose between being a good employee
and being a good daughter. In addition, a
quarter of working daughters find there
is a workplace stigma associated with being
a caregiver for an aging parent, and 23
per cent have found that their supervisor
is unsympathetic.
– NICOLE STEWART
In an effort to start a conversation
about how working family caregivers can
be better supported in the workplace,
the Home Instead Senior Care network
in the United States and Canada
has launched a new public education
program, Daughters in the WorkplaceSM.
The new program offers free resources
to help working family caregivers feel
empowered to talk to their employers
about their needs, while also identifying
caregiving support that may be available.
The program also provides information
to help employers understand what their
employees want and need as caregivers,
including caregiver friendly business
practices.
“All too often, working caregivers feel
that they have to make a choice between
work and their aging loved one,” said Jisella
Dolan, chief advocacy officer at Home
Instead, Inc. “They are often unaware of
what resources are available and how to
navigate those conversations with their
employer. That is why we are committed
to not only empowering family caregivers
with the knowledge of the help that
is available to them, but also helping employers
become better equipped on how
to create a supportive workplace environment
for caregiving employees.”
Statistics Canada research shows that
women are almost twice as likely as their
male counterparts to spend 20 or more
hours per week on caregiving tasks. Part of
this larger workload is a result of the types
of caregiving activities typically performed
by women. For instance, women are twice
as likely as men to provide personal care
to senior loved ones such as bathing and
dressing. What’s more, many women are
part of the sandwich generation, caring for
an aging parent or relative while also caring
for their own children.
Nora Spinks, CEO at The Vanier
Institute of the Family in Ottawa, explains
com
Shutterstock.Photography/that a significant issue facing many
working family caregivers is that employers
often do not realize the strain caring
Impact for a senior loved one can place on their 12 ❚ AUGUST 2017 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL