Caregivers and Flexible Work

One of the groups of people often overlooked when shouting the benefits of flexible work, on both sides of the pond, are home/family carers. These selfless people help and care for old and sick loved-ones, at no cost to society, and often miss out on working a full time job.

Over 2.6 million caregivers will benefit from the right to request flexible working in the UK alone, with a further 50 million in the USA.

Rosalyn Carter said it best: “There are only four kinds of people in the world – those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers”.

With many caregivers looking after elderly relatives it meant a huge pool of talent, at its most productive phase of life, was lost to business because of its INflexibility.

With new legislation catching up to the needs of society this is another slice of the population, along with parents, who will be able to rejoin and contribute in the workplace outside of giving care.

Related Caregivers and Flexible Work Articles ...

The Anti-Mommy Bias - Economix Blog - NYTimes.com

Some policy analysts argue that mothers make a lifestyle choice, opting for easier, more flexible work over greater responsibility and higher pay. Others, like myself, argue that our economic system imposes unfair penalties on those who care for others. ... In May 2007, the Equal Opportunities Employment Commission issued official guidance on FRED, explaining circumstances under which discrimination against caregivers violates existing law. ...

Are you Fair Work ready?

2. Request for flexible work arrangements: An employee who has responsibility for a child under school age or someone under 18 with a disability has a right to request a change in working arrangements. ...

Related articles ...

• Last Call For Nominations For The Parentgiving.com First Annual Parentgivers Of The Year Awards (prweb.com)
• You: The hidden face of caring (guardian.co.uk)
• Dementia 'must rise in priority' (news.bbc.co.uk)

Check out our blog about flexible working for parents

6 Steps To A Flexible Work Policy

The lightbulb has finally gone off in your head and you can now see clearly the benefits of flexible work, but what do you do about it? Here are six steps to help guide you through the successful implementation of a flexible work policy at your worksite.

Step 1: Review Organizational Policy
See if your organization has written policies on compressed workweeks or flextime. If so, read them. If there are no policies, recommend that the organization set up a cross-functional task force to develop them.

Step 2: Consider the Costs and Benefits
Can compressed workweeks and flextime help your department and organization improve results? Look for opportunities that will help you better serve your internal and external customers.

Step 3: Move from Idea to Plan
If you think compressed workweeks and/or flextime schedules make sense for your unit, you will need to figure out work schedules, appropriate models, participation, supervision and communication. You will find the points to cover as part of the Implementation Checklist.

Step 4: Move from Plan to Action
Now is the time to present your plan to staff, receive feedback and request employee proposals. Remember to include in your discussion non-participating employees who might be affected by these changes. Contact HR for guidance on tracking and reporting vacation, holidays, sick leave and personal days off. Also consult HR about documentation that may be required by law.

Step 5: Initiate a trial period
For the first few months, test the way your new schedules are working. To assure that compressed workweeks and flextime are successful, monitor the arrangements during the trail period, making adjustments as necessary.

Step 6: Evaluate and Improve
At the end of the trial period, evaluate the program in terms of your original objective for implementation. You may be measuring costs and benefits, customer satisfaction, employee effectiveness and/or impact on non-participating employees. Keep evaluating and fine-tuning.

These steps are based upon the recommendations at commuterchallenge.org

Related Flexible Work Policy Articles ...

Family-Friendly Work Policies Take a Hit - Motherlode Blog ...

Will the trend toward flexible working arrangements survive in the recession?

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We've recently discussed how, with the potentially rebounding economy, workers are going to expect more from their employees in 2010. Implementing a flexible work environment (or improving your company's current telecommuting policy) is ...

 

Check out our blog about flexible working for parents