Elder care an issue for workers
For the AJC
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Last summer, Donna Nazary was called suddenly to help her ailing father in Mississippi.
“My supervisor was very understanding and granted me a flexible work arrangement for two weeks. With my BlackBerry, I was able to work remotely during that very stressful time,” said Nazary, director of total rewards in the human resources department of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Leita Cowart / AJC Special
Donna Nazary’s employer, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, gave her some flexibility to take care of her sick father last year.
“It seems like every week or two, I hear of someone experiencing a similar problem,” Nazary said. “Many workers have aging parents, and families don’t live in the same city or even the same state anymore. It’s a challenge that our health system is trying to meet in several ways.”
The Family Caregiver Alliance (a national center on caregiving) estimates that one out of four U.S. households is involved in caring for a family member 50 or older and between one-third and one-half of those caregivers also work outside the home.
“The need for elder care is growing because of our demographics,” said Bill Kahnweiler, a professor of human resources at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies who researches work/ life balance issues. “The good news is that people are living longer. The challenge is that the longer we live, the more problems we encounter.
“Tension has always existed between balancing the needs of the family and the needs of the employer,” he said.
In the 1970s, child care was a hot issue as women moved into the work force in record numbers. Kahnweiler can remember when the reaction from corporate leaders to employee assistance services (employer-subsidized referrals to outside counseling for legal, emotional or financial difficulties) was “We’re not social workers,” or “That sounds like a personal problem.” Now those services are standard in many businesses.
“More companies have realized that when employees have problems, it spills over into work and that spills over into productivity and the bottom line,” he said.
“It’s not rocket science. No matter how talented or dedicated a worker is, if he’s worried about a parent, he’s going to partly focus on that.
“It’s in their enlightened self-interest for companies to provide some help, to say: ‘We recognize that you have a life issue. We value you and want to help you so that you can continue to be a contributing member of this organization.’ “
As more workers become caregivers, companies that are flexible in structuring work or offer elder care assistance will see a return on their investment in terms of loyalty, recruitment and retention, he said.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta addresses the elder care issue in ways that have helped Fortune magazine designate it one of its “100 Best Companies to Work For” and “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers.”
“Through our employee assistance program, we contract with an outside firm that has expertise in child care and elder care. The case managers will help employees find in-home health care, assisted-living communities or other services for their parents,” Nazary said. “A co-worker told me that finding and visiting long-term care facilities for his mom was almost a full-time job. When someone helps you do the legwork, employees don’t have to take as much time off from work.”
Children’s also provides backup care options for employees who need temporary assistance when regular care arrangements don’t work.
“Employees use this program for child care when their regular care falls through, but the backup care extends to elder care, too,” she said.
The service will provide in-home care for adults recovering from an illness or medical treatment when a family member can’t be there — anywhere in the United States.
“Employees may use the service up to 80 days per year, and because we subsidize the cost, it’s only $4 an hour,” Nazary said.
Employee Kathleen Jensen requested long-distance care for her father after he had a heart problem.
“I was in awe that a company could provide such a wonderful experience for my 91-year-old father. The provider and the caretaker were such professionals and showed my father and me such compassion when we were in crisis,” she wrote on an evaluation.
Long-term insurance for employees and their dependents is another benefit that is growing more popular among employees, Nazary said.
“Just as important as the tangible benefits, we encourage our managers to be flexible with employees when they need to take leave,” she said.
Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, eligible employees are allowed up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for their serious illness, a serious illness in the family, childbirth or adoption. This can be taken all at once or intermittently, as needed, and personal and vacation leave may be applied to compensate employees for some of the time.
“Our supervisors try to be understanding and work with employees to create flexible schedules or to allow them to telecommute in order to meet their work and family obligations,” Nazary said. “We know these programs help with employee satisfaction and productivity.”