Implementing care compatibility
How to support employees with care responsibilities
Companies are meeting the challenges of demographic change with a wide range of activities and initiatives. This also applies to the compatibility of work and care. In an increasingly ageing society, many people have to look after relatives in need of care or assistance in addition to their own family and work. Read here what companies can do to support affected employees in this challenging phase of their lives.
In many cases, caring situations occur suddenly and unexpectedly. They not only change the lives of those affected, but also those of their relatives - with considerable personal and professional consequences, such as psychological stress and increased absenteeism. If employees are permanently unable to reconcile the new demands with their job, they may even be forced to resign.
It is therefore worthwhile for companies to create better framework conditions in order to improve the compatibility of care and work and to keep employees in the company despite having to provide care. By developing individual solutions and suitable offers for employees with care responsibilities, you can also create closer employee loyalty and strengthen your corporate image with a care-friendly culture of values.
What can you do as a care-friendly company?
These tips for a care-friendly approach in your company can help you implement them:
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Determine requirements:
First find out where you stand. To do this, ask yourself what measures you are already implementing that can help you reconcile care and work. These include flexible working hours or home office options, for example. Also ask your employees how they assess the current situation - for example as part of an anonymized survey. They know best where they are already able to achieve a good work-life balance and, above all, where they need further support.
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Develop concrete measures:
In discussions with your employees, you will quickly realize that individual needs can vary greatly. That's why it's important to provide various options from which each colleague can choose the right one. One of the most important factors here is often working hours. If employees can organize these flexibly and plan them reliably for themselves, this also helps them to take care of private commitments. In acute emergencies, the possibility of spontaneous time off can also be of great importance. The prerequisite for this is systematic substitute management. Only if the affected employees know that no important tasks will be left undone can they leave their workplace for a while without a guilty conscience. You should also appoint a contact person who can provide support with the individual selection and compilation of measures, provide information and, if necessary, refer employees to other advisory services. Special training courses can provide the necessary qualifications.
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Communicate internally:
Company measures and offers are only effective if your employees are aware of them. Therefore, make sure that you draw sufficient attention to the opportunities for better reconciling care and work in your company. This is also about getting this topic and the associated burden out of the taboo zone. Therefore, approach not only those affected, but all employees and make it clear that caring for relatives has the same importance as other aspects related to work-life balance. Use communication channels such as emails, the intranet or information folders, as well as more confidential channels such as the annual employee appraisal. External input through seminars and presentations can also provide additional and new impetus.
Where can we find help and advice?
The Landesprogramm "Vereinbarkeit Beruf & Pflege" supports you as a company in improving the compatibility of work and care in order to relieve the burden on employees with care responsibilities and keep them in gainful employment. The state program also connects companies with the local care infrastructure. All information on the state program and how to contact us can be found at https://berufundpflege-nrw.de/.
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