Caught between a rock and a hard place
“Caught between a rock and a hard place” is a good definition of the Sandwich Generation.
The Super Moms and Dads who care for their aging, ailing parents, in addition to raising their own children and managing their careers are the Sandwich Generation.
Glamorized as unpaid healthcare workers, lauded as heroes on occasions like ‘National Caregivers Day,’ members of the Sandwich Generation very rarely wear the burden of care as a badge of honor.
The burden of care responsibilities is not only hard, but its debilitating to the mental and physical health of carers, their employers and the economy.
The hard facts
- According to The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, Canadians spend 5.7 billion unpaid hours each year on caregiving, with many of them struggling to balance the demands of care and paid work.
- In 2018, the National Institute on Ageing cited the costs associated with caregiving to be estimated at approximately $1.3 billion annually in lost productivity, absenteeism, and turnover for Canadian employers.
Caught between a rock and a hard place
The greatest challenge faced by the Sandwich Generation is accessing appropriate, reliable and affordable professional support to care for parents.
Knowing where to get the right information for the situation the caregiver faces e.g. multiple medical conditions. Admittedly, there are many services, but they are not widely known or available. Some caregivers report that there is inadequate and fragmented peer and mental health support, limited financial benefits, and the lack of employment protection and benefits such as leaves of absence. Medical advice and support – particularly where there are several health conditions
The challenge of finding appropriate care is often made more difficult due to cultural considerations. For example, racialized communities are more reluctant to outsource care, due to cultural traditions and feelings of moral obligation regarding the care of seniors.
Also, very often, women are considered by other (usually male) family members to be the default carers, regardless of whether women are financial and physically resourced to take on the additional care responsibility.
Caregivers are more likely to be frequently absent from work. As the burden of care increases with the decline in the health of the person being cared for, caregivers may be forced to take disability leave, require medical care, and endure further financial hardship.
- Some 69 per cent of family caregivers said their mental health deteriorated during the pandemic.*
Possible options employers should consider
Clearly define the problem. If you don’t name it and define it, you can’t address it. It is important for employers to realize that there is much at stake when the needs of their caregiver employees are not addressed. Reduced productivity, increased absenteeism and disability, the loss of highly skilled employees, and increased conflicts among employees are a few adverse consequences.
- Work from home / hybrid
- Working from home may be an attractive time management option to reduce commuting to work particularly for employees who have caregiving responsibilities for young children and aging parents.
- Admittedly, with employers offering remote work options to employees, it is difficult for supervisors and managers to discern the challenges that remote workers are facing and identify resources to support them.
- Employee benefit plans can be tailored to support caregivers
- Include preventive healthcare in benefits plans such as proper nutrition, smoking cessation, support for alcoholics, physical activity tips, self-management support for persons with chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure that increase the risks of cognitive decline, safety protocols to avoid head injury and protect brain health.
- De-stigmatize mental health issues in the workplace
- Enlist the support of the employee assistance program to promote awareness and education about caregivers’ mental health.
- Create safe spaces for employees who are caregivers to discuss their mental health concerns.
- Provide access to telehealth support
- Access to support services, counselling and medical advice through telephone, internet and other virtual platforms provides employees with on-the-spot and scheduled support.
- Flexible time and work arrangements
- Paid time off for employees who care for aging parents, particularly in the end stages of life.
- Job sharing and flexible schedules for some types of work that can be carried out by more than one employee, without compromising accountability and productivity.
See the BIG picture. Focus on what’s important
Camille Isaacs Morell is a business leader whose career spans the health insurance and social sectors. Having witnessed the adverse effects of caregiving on employees, she has advocated for enhanced employee benefits and programs to support the sandwich generation.
theBIGpicture Camille 