Working Things Out At Work:
Family Caregiving and Your Job
By John Paul Marosy
If you are caring for a loved one and trying to hold down a job
at the same time: Welcome to the club! There are over 14 million
employed family caregivers in America today - and the number is
growing daily as more baby boomers face the challenges of elder
care.
Balancing caregiving and work can be stressful, and caregiving situations
vary tremendously. No single action plan works for everyone. However,
there are certain strategies that every family caregiver can follow
in attempting to strike a balance between the demands of work and
family. Family caregivers have legal rights. And there are resources
available to lighten the caregiving load.
Strategies That Work
In today's tight labor market, many employers are looking for ways
to retain good employees - a fact that works in your favor. With
this in mind, here are some practical strategies that may help you
deal with your elder care/work situation:
1. Let your manager and your close colleagues know what is going on
so they provide support. When caregiving demands require you to take
time off, or cause you to give less than 100 percent at work, people
will notice. If you don't share information about your situation,
others may think you are simply not pulling your weight. Some co-workers
may feel resentful. You may set yourself up for a poor performance
appraisal - which will hurt your chances of getting help. Talk to
your supervisor before a conflict develops. If you are not comfortable
bringing up the subject, consider contacting the EAP or Employee Relations
staff at your work place (see #7, below).
2. Honestly assess your job. Write your responsibilities down on a
piece of paper. Ask yourself whether the job still makes sense for
you in your situation. If you decide you want to stay in the job,
make a list of what you need in order to cope.
3. Consider the employer's viewpoint. When you tell your manager what
you need, be sure to also show that you appreciate your manager's
responsibilities and the objectives of the company. You are more likely
to achieve a positive result if you can talk about both your needs
and the company's goals for your position.
4. Be specific with your employer. When you meet with your manager,
be clear about what you want. For example, if you are caring for someone
recovering from an operation, you might suggest that over the next
four weeks you be allowed to come in one hour later and leave one
hour earlier each day rather than asking for "flexible hours."
5. Set a timeframe for assessing new work arrangements. Suggest that
any change in work arrangement be time-limited, so that you and the
manager can assess the situation after a reasonable period of time
to determine if it is working from both your points of view.
6. Be proactive and creative. You know your own workload and how to
manage it. If you are dealing with a crisis and can't concentrate
on work or plan ahead for work requirements right now, arrange for
willing co-workers to pick up your responsibilities during the time
you need for personal leave. If your work is such that you can do
some of it at home, propose an arrangement for a schedule that assures
you will produce a specific amount of work at home on a daily or weekly
basis.
7. Make use of resources at your workplace. An increasing number of
employers offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that provide confidential
counseling for stressful situations. Others offer elder care consultation
and referral services: an "800" number where you can reach a trained
elder-care counselor who will help you identify and secure needed
services for you and your loved one. At some companies, the Employee
Relations staff can also help. As a neutral third party, Employee
Relations professionals bring together employee and supervisor to
resolve workplace conflicts.
8. Know your rights. Family caregivers have legal rights in some circumstances.
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) applies to organizations
with 50 or more employees. Workers who are eligible for FMLA leave
may take up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave in a twelve-month period
when an employee or family member has a serious health condition.
In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers
to provide reasonable accommodation, not only for persons with disabilities,
but also for individuals who must care for persons with a disabilities.
Balancing elder care and work responsibilities can be a real challenge.
Still, today's caregivers can work out arrangements that make it
possible to do both. The essential first step is to make your needs
known. Speak up sooner rather than later. You and your loved one
will be glad you did!
John Paul Marosy is director of the Caregiver Community Action
Network of the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), based
in Kensington, MD, a non-profit consumer organization dedicated
to improving the lives of all family caregivers. Membership in NFCA
is free for family caregivers. Call 1-800-896-3650.
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