Supporting Clients
Employers have to deal with the ongoing challenge to retain skilled and experienced staff in order to remain competitive. But for the 1 in 7 in the workforce who are caring for someone who is ill, frail or has a disability, juggling paid work and caring can sometimes cause problems.
Given the stresses and strains that can arise from balancing work and life – and this applies to all of us – it is perhaps not surprising that 1 in 5 carers give up work to care full time. But many of these employees will be your most valuable staff, those with the greatest experience and skills. By recognising the needs of carers, employers can hold on to experienced staff and achieve real business benefits.
Being able to stay in a job whilst caring can be down to just having an understanding employer who is willing to work with carers; flexible working patterns are a big feature and attraction in today’s labour market and such approaches can help carers to balance the demands of caring whilst staying in work and enhancing their career prospects.
Supporting carers in the workforce need not be costly; it could involve letting a carer come into work a little later and work on after finishing time; it could just be allowing access to a phone to check up on a family member or have occasional time off to attend hospital and GP appointments.
Some employers will have carers/dependents’ policies. Carers will be more loyal and productive and helping someone who is an experienced and valued member of the workforce saves money in terms of not having to recruit and re-train a new employee.
Carers also have legal rights in the work place.