Awareness of the Needs of Working Caregivers by Employers is Increasing

John Paul Marosy's Monthly E-newsletter just arrived(http://www.bringingeldercarehome.com) and highlights an article highlighting survey results presented a forum on Elder Care in The Workplace at the March 2007 American Society on Aging / National Council on the Aging Annual Meeting.

Since 2003, AARP has been conducting employer surveys to uncover trends and insights regarding caregiving in the workplace. The surveys focus on employers' understanding of caregiving and their perception of its costs.

Some of the survey's major findings included:

Half of employers say their employees have asked for time off for caregiving
Eight in ten employers believe their employees would be comfortable asking for time off for caregiving

One-third have requested time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act
Among the top types of benefits these employers offer caregiving employees:

71% Personal/Bereavement Leave
34% Job Security
34% Flexible Schedule
17% Referrals to Counseling
17% Referrals to Eldercare Services
Dinger reports that, among employers that do offer a program or benefit for caregivers, the offerings are well-established, having been in place for five or more years. And nearly four in ten respondents say their program or benefit is extremely or very well utilized by their employees.

The chief barriers identified to developing programs for caregivers include:

One-third of employers say that covering the employee's time is the main barrier
Other barriers include cost issues (19%) and increased paperwork (16%)
As far as effect of caregiving on job performance, here's how these South Carolina employers rated the impact:

Most (70%) employers surveyed expressed interest in caregiving resources.

For complete survey results, contact Ms. Dinger at AARP Knowledge Management at edinger@aarp.org or (202) 434-6176.

Using a network of local independent nurses, social workers, financial,
legal and insurance specialists a comprehensive package of elder
and disability services can be offered by employers, trade unions or
associations at an affordable cost that can often be less than a dollar per
month per employee.

For more information visit www.eldercareatwork.com or call 1-800-375-0595

Comments to any and all posts on this blog should be sent to bob@elderlifeplanning.com