feature
groundbreaking,” said Lapointe. “We’re
pleased to have provided the foundation
and catalyst for these programs. From
a human perspective, lending a hand to
those that need it most is simply the right
thing to do.”
And as the population ages and the
“sandwich generation” finds itself caring
for children and elderly parents, the need
for compassionate care benefits has grown
further.
“Medical advances, in addition to their
many benefits, have helped establish the
need for compassionate care benefits,”
said Lapointe. “On the plus side, modern
medicine has made great strides in helping
us live longer and healthier lives. Those
advances have also helped create the sandwich
generation. While several Canadian
corporations have policies to support employees
with parental care responsibilities,
the compassionate leave benefit is a logical
extension of that.”
EMPLOYER RATIONALE
There are obvious reasons to provide
a compassionate care policy at work.
Employers should strive to make sure their
employees know their company supports
them in difficult situations, including taking
time to care for a loved one if needed.
“The reduction in stress for the employee
will have a positive impact on
productivity when he or she returns, and
for their team during their absence,” said
Lapointe. Survey respondents agreed,
adding that having a policy makes it easier
for employees to return to work and reintegrate
into the working environment after
caring for a loved one.
“Providing accommodations for employees
caring for family members at end
of life is one of the ways to reduce caregiver
stress and avoid burnout,” said Bill
Greenhalgh, CEO of HRPA. “Workers
who are supported through situations like
this are also more loyal and are more
likely to stay with the company.”
In fact, 61 per cent of HR professionals
said compassionate care policies increase
employee engagement and provide other
benefits, including preventing leave
caused by stress or mental anguish.
“This is an important leave to have, as
when employees are struggling with a family
illness and trying to maintain a ‘normal’
work life, it can take its toll and could potentially
cause an employee to go off on
stress leave,” said another HR leader who
responded to the survey. “The compassionate
care leave allows an individual to take
the needed time off work to care for their
loved ones.”
FORMAL VS. INFORMAL POLICIES
According to the survey, a majority of companies
offer some kind of compassionate
care benefits to their employees; however,
a general trend is to allow employees to
take leave whether there is a formal policy
in place or not. Seventy-fiveanalyze
Lapointe, however, makes the case for
creating a formal compassionate care leave
policy.
“From the perspective of the organization,”
she said, “the certainty and
predictability of a formal compassionate
care program makes it easier to plan a
smooth transition for customers, partners
and other team members during the leave
of absence.”
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ FEBRUARY 2015 ❚ 33