There’s a ground shift happening in our workforce with ties directly to employee performance, job satisfaction and job loyalty: It’s the growing recognition of caregivers.
Employers got a glimpse of their employees’ lives over Zoom calls and other pandemic workarounds―and what they saw was caregiving in action. Parents juggling daycare and school. Adult children helping their aging parents. Late-night grocery shopping. Trading daytime hours for late nights of work.
These previously hidden second-shift schedules involve complex logistics that stretch the limits of time management. Yet it should look familiar; nearly 75% of employees have caregiving responsibilities outside of work.
Meeting the dual demands of work and life isn’t easy, and many of these employees have reached a point where they (very literally) can’t do more…cue the quiet quitting, the “Great Resignation,” record stress and career burnouts. It’s up to employers to make a change―and culture is the sweet spot, making life at work better for all employees.
What will your organization do to care for caregivers? Here are a few ideas.