Below is part two of the best caregiver-friendly practices in the workplace. If you are an employer or a business owner, read on to learn more on how you can support your caregiver employees.
Remote Work
Are there tasks your employees can complete away from the office? Like flextime, consider how a caregiving employee’s schedule can be structured so they can take care of their family and still do their job. Perhaps emails and clerical tasks can be done at home a few hours each week when an employee must administer medication to their family members or does not have other support available.
Resource Fairs
Hosting a resource fair during lunch is a simple way for your employees to find help and get their questions answered in person. Caregiving agencies are always willing to share information about the services they offer and typically have a designated community outreach staff and will set up an information booth for free.
Orientation Materials and Employee Handbook Offering Caregiving Information
Starting the conversation on caregiving is important, particularly if you have employees who are providing care, but do not yet realize they are a caregiver. Explain to new employees that caregivers are supported at your company and that it is encouraged for caregiving employees to share their situation and to ask for reasonable accommodations. Including the term “caregiver” in orientation materials and employee handbooks shows your employees they are not alone with their work and home roles.
Sharing the Nevada Caregivers Resource Website and Guidebook
The Community Foundation created Nevadacaregivers.org, and online database of caregiving resources, and the Nevada Caregivers Guidebook, an instructional manual to help caregivers start their journey. One of the hardest parts about caregiving can be finding help. However, the Nevada Caregivers website and guidebook make it easy to find help. Sharing these resources with your employees eliminates the stress of spending hours searching for resources.
Remember, supporting caregivers is good business. When you support caregivers in your workplace, your business will benefit too. Implementing one of these practices in your work environment, will help caregivers in the workplace have a healthy balance between work and caregiving. If you or someone you know is new at caregiving, visit https://nevadacaregivers.org/where-to-start/getting-started/ or call the Community Foundation at 775-333-5499 for more information.