"As well as helping caregivers support their dependents, employees must also be encouraged to look after their own health."
- Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD
Of those surveyed (500), 38% believe home-related stress and anxiety, such as having caregiver responsibilities, is negatively impacting their staff. Worryingly, 29% of employers believe a lack of state-funded social care is putting pressure on staff.
Group Risk Development (GRiD) recognises that supporting employees with caregiving responsibilities can be challenging due to the unpredictable nature of caregiving. Staff often require greater flexibility, and without support from their employer, can become absent from the workplace.
The industry body suggested that employers who want to support those with caregiving responsibilities may not know how to and often fear that doing so will mean they aren’t treating staff like equals.
GRiD said employers should ensure there is a written statement in the company handbook which sets out how they promote an inclusive and supportive workplace. Employee benefits can also be utilised to provide in-the-moment support, with access to specialists.
“Important as it is, support for caregivers is rarely top of the wish list when it comes to employee benefits, however, many employers will find that their employee benefits already have a wide range of support aimed at this group,” stressed Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD.
She said: “Not everyone who has caregiving responsibilities considers themselves to be a ‘caregiver’, or makes their responsibilities known to colleagues, so employers may not know how many employees are affected.
“Employers should assume the numbers are far greater than they realise, and shape their employee benefits accordingly,” Katharine concluded.
