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Experiencing the end of a loved one’s life can be a tremendously difficult experience. For many individuals, they are acting as a caregiver during the last part of a loved one’s life.
By itself, that can be an overwhelming experience. Many caregivers, however, still have to balance working at the same time. Fortunately, some companies are now providing support to employees who are caregiving for loved ones.
Employee Support
Pitney Bowes is among other companies who are offering support to employees. The company provides flexible work schedules, support groups, and even legal and financial resources on hospice and palliative care.
The flexible work schedule can be a life saver for caregivers who many times have to modify their schedule at a moment’s notice to accommodate the individuals they are caring for. The article notes that 1 in 5 employees had to take a leave of absence from work for caregiver duties.
The access to resources, however, is a really a great benefit for employees. In many cases, caregiving employees do not have enough time to conduct their own research on end of life care. Getting pointed in the right direction is just one less thing for an already overwhelmed individual to think about.
Employers recognize the benefit of providing support
For some caregivers, if their workplace cannot accommodate their need to provide care for a loved one, the employee will simply quit. Not only is an employer losing a valued employee, the employee may harbor negative feelings towards the employer for not being accommodating.
As the demand for elder care services increases, this will become a more frequent issue for employers. Tackling the silver tsunami head on, and providing support for employees, certainly seems to be in the best interest for both employers and employees.
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Randall Ryder is consumer rights attorney in Minnesota, where he suesabusive debt collectors and is a publisher of Elder Parent Help.