Manager Tips: Support Employees Who are Supporting Others
More than 70 million people around the world are caregivers of children, grandchildren, elderly parents and other special needs adults. While caregiving is often rewarding and joyful, it comes with significant challenges especially for caregivers who also have professional responsibilities. Even in the best of times, balancing caregiving and work can create significant stress, anxiety and even depression as well as physical and physical well-being hardships.
Unfortunately, many working parents worry that their caregiving responsibilities will have a negative impact on their careers, and a staggering 42% fear using company-provided benefits that support parents out of concern it could harm their careers or result in termination. Many don’t even know what benefits their employers provide to support them in their role as a caregiver.
At AECOM, we support employees’ freedom to grow. Here are some ways you can support the well-being of working parents on your team.
- Share information about any flexible work arrangements that may be available at your location.
- Be supportive, flexible and empathetic when working parents have planned or unexpected events (e.g., a sick child) that require their attention.
- Create an open environment where team members can discuss their families. Share updates about your own family (when appropriate).
- Point your team to local caregiving benefits and resources, such as Care.com in the U.S. and Canada, WorkLife Links in Australia and New Zealand, and the GuidanceResources EAP which is available to all employees globally.
- Practice tolerance for unintended distractions or noises, such as children and pets, during conference calls and encourage your team to do the same.
