60% of family caregivers in America are employed. 66% of those employed caregivers have to make some adjustments to their work-life to take care of their family obligations. 20% of those caregivers need to take a leave of absence to balance their responsibilities.
These numbers are staggering and will only become more compelling as the baby boomer generation continues to age, and lives longer. There will be more and more instances in corporate life where employees need to balance their professional responsibilities with their responsibilities to care for elderly family members.
Using wellness programs to help employees balance their obligations can be equally helpful to employees and employers alike. When employers offer flexibility in times of high stress for employees, employees will be more dedicated and give more of themselves when they can afford the energy. Awarding employees for presenteeism, rather than creating more stress with punishment for absenteeism will create greater loyalty among employees when their personal lives are stable.
Granting small rewards for consistent presenteeism, such as small denomination gift cards for useful multi-purpose retailers such as CVS/Pharmacy, help employees balance their personal budgets, while giving as much time is healthy and feasible to them for work. Showing flexibility when employees need it, will return the employer investment when an employee can afford to give more to work. These situations will continue to present themselves as we move closer to 2030, when according to the U.S. Census Bureau 31% of the population will be over 55, and 20% of the population will be over 65. Giving flexibility to employees now, will pay off down the road.
