We all have a part to play in turning policy into practice.

THANK YOU FOR READING

During a year of mixed emotions, your response to Care Fully is a bright spot.

When I reflect on your comments, poll responses, and replies, my heart is full. I know time is limited. The minutes you spend reading each issue means a great deal to me. Thank you.

To further thank you (and practice what I preach), you’ll only receive two editions of Care Fully this month. I’m hoping, in the midst of the chaos, we take a bit of time to enjoy family and friends, rest, reset, and prepare for 2026.

While next week’s edition is the last for 2025, you’ll have a 2026 edition of Care Fully in your inbox on 7th to help welcome the new year.

PART TWO: GUEST POST BY TRACY DUNBAR: PUTTING POLICY INTO PRACTICE

In my first post, we discussed the need to support caregivers in the workplace and the trend of state legislation offering Paid Leave Programs.

When state programs aren't available or sufficient, forward-thinking organizations step up to create their own Paid Caregiver Policies. Today’s post picks up this theme and considers three questions employers can review as they create caregiving supports.

1. How do we define “Caregiver?”

2. What are some tactical strategies to support caregivers? 

3. How do we manage gaps in employment and continue to reach our goals as an organization without burning out the rest of the team?

Defining the Caregiver

We typically think of the caregiver as someone who cares for children or aging parents. However, we know that families are dynamic and expansive and needs can vary from a temporary recovery from a car accident to a chronic illness that requires ongoing care.

State legislation will typically cover the nuclear family (mom, dad, children) and the legal family unit, which also includes  domestic partners, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and parents-in-law. 

The most progressive organizations will also include “chosen family” - individuals related by blood (aunt, uncle) or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.  

We encourage you to be expansive and inclusive when defining caregivers.

Strategies to Support Caregivers

The most common and helpful supports organizations can provide include flexible work arrangements, subsidized backup care, and proactive, internal support. 

Flexible Work Arrangements

• Flextime Programs: Allowing employees to adjust their daily start and end times (within a certain range) to accommodate caregiving tasks like school drop-offs or doctors' appointments.

• Telecommuting/Remote Work: Providing the option to work from home (or a flexible location) on a regular basis to reduce commuting stress and be closer to the person receiving care.

• Reduced-Time/Part-Time Options: Allowing an employee to temporarily or permanently move to a part-time schedule while retaining some or all of their benefits (often prorated).

• Job Sharing: A more formal arrangement where two employees share the responsibilities and hours of one full-time position.

Caregiver Support Services and Benefits

• Subsidized Back-Up Care: A highly-valued benefit that provides access to temporary, high-quality, subsidized care for an elder or child when the employee's regular care provider is unavailable.  

• Caregiver Education and Coaching: Access to expert coaches, webinars, or online resources can help employees navigate the complexities of caregiving (e.g., understanding medical diagnoses, financial/legal planning, and finding local resources).

Internal Supports

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): These services offer mental health counseling, stress management support, and confidential referrals to legal or financial planning services specifically for caregivers.

• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Company-sponsored groups that connect employees who share similar caregiving experiences (e.g., parents of children with special needs, or those caring for aging parents) to provide peer support and a sense of community.

• Manager Training: Providing training to managers on how to compassionately and effectively support employees with caregiving responsibilities, avoiding potential discrimination or bias.

Organizational Design and Strategy

How we structure our teams and organize work is often overlooked as a strategy to create a flexible and accommodating work environment.  Here are a few strategic choices leaders can make that will have a direct impact on caregivers in the workplace.

• Agile Cross Training: Instead of reactive scrambling, identify critical roles that require coverage plans. Implement rotational assignments before a crisis hits. Frame this as professional development for the covering employee, not just extra work. The caregiver can leave without guilt, and the team builds resilience and new skills.

• Fractional Interim Support: Given the length of time the caregiver may need to be away, some specialized work cannot be absorbed by colleagues and interim support is the ideal solution.  Utilize the "gig economy" of high-level consultants. Whether it's a fractional Controller or a contract Project Manager, bringing in outside help for 12 weeks keeps the ship steady.  We recommend organizations add a budget line item for temporary hiring. 

• Knowledge Management: Create a culture of "Documentation:. If a process is well-documented, a caregiver doesn't have to dread opening their email to 50 "how do I do this?" messages while they are at a hospital bedside. The caregiver gets to actually unplug, and the business continues to run on autopilot.

Compassion doesn't mean ignoring the bottom line; it means planning for life to happen. We encourage leaders to build systems that can accommodate caregivers and help to build stronger, more sustainable organizations. 

My thoughts:

A big thank you to Tracy for taking time to create this series for us. She surfaces key factors organizations must address to support caregiving employers.

If you’d like to hear more about her story and perspective, tune into our “Building Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces,” our podcast episode.

As caregivers, understanding these factors is fundamental to work towards effective change. While the organization has the responsibility to create the environment, everyone has a part to play. Caregivers, other employees, managers, upper management, Human Resources, Employee Resource Groups, etc. all make a difference.

Regardless of the role you play in your organization, I hope this series provides insights you can use to support your team and your company.

News for you.

• Personal care aides in nursing homes and other facilities barely get paid more than fast food counter workers. This must change.

• Many seniors fall victim to scammers and identity theft. Tune into this webinar on December 9th for practical tips to keep your loved one safe.

• National Family Caregivers Month ended on a great note for LifePath, a nonprofit supporting caregivers in Massachusetts.

• Remember when “bots” lived on Twitter? They’ve been hanging out all over the inter webs causing more than a few issues for brands like Tylenol.

• For those of us in the US mailing packages and cards, be mindful of the list of dates found here to make sure your items arrive in a timely fashion.

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