How Companies Can Support Their Employees Taking Care of Loved Ones!

Every day is an opportunity for employers to support their team members to ensure employees are happy, fulfilled, and feel supported by the companies they work for. For full-time employees whose loved ones have ongoing life-threatening diseases, or are just aging and need additional support, caregiving can be a challenge. These employees are constantly trying to find a balance between their workplace responsibilities and the needs of their families. This can quickly lead to burnout, exhaustion, and stress.

Often called The Sandwich Generation, there are a growing number of employees who are taking care of aging parents and elders while caring for their own growing families. Caregiver fatigue can be debilitating, and as a sympathetic and attentive employer, you should be offering support in the workplace for employees who are dealing with these types of responsibilities.?

Here are a few tips on how organizations can support their employees through these life transitions.

?Encourage them to take family leave - Many caregiving employees are busy trying to make it through each work day. Offer them gentle reminders to use their paid familial leave or your company’s employee assistance programs to help them find time to address caregiving responsibilities without being concerned about their workplace duties.? This will help relieve some of the stress, free up time, and make scheduling important doctor’s appointments easier.?

Provide caregiving resources and support - Keep a growing list of resources in your company’s healthcare plan and connect employees to helpful nonprofits that provide support and solutions to caregiving employees.?

Re-evaluate your emergency leave policy - Since the pandemic, there has been a national nurse shortage, leading to more irregular doctor visits and difficulty booking new appointments for many Americans.??

Employers should be prepared to make emergency adjustments for working caregivers. An emergency leave policy should support employees who need unplanned time off for family emergencies, medical appointments, continued treatment for on-going health issues, or recovery services.?

Offer workshops on managing caregiver stress - At SMILE Therapy Services, we offer a series of caregiver mental health and wellness workshops to help your company support your fatigued and stressed employees. We are well-versed in helping them manage stress, hectic schedules, their personal health, boundary setting, and other coping skills to help balance their work-life schedule.?

Recently, SMILE Therapy hosted a LinkedIn Live Conversation called, "Caregiver Fatigue - Supporting Employees Who are Dealing with Trauma at Home." We addressed specific concerns and solutions employers can implement to help their caregiving employees be more successful in the workplace. Click here to watch the conversation!

Now more than ever, it’s important for employers to support their employees' well-being so that they feel appreciated, relieved, and cared for by their companies. SMILE Therapy Services is an award-winning mental health and wellness agency focused on helping leaders cultivate a healthy workplace culture that increases employee retention, productivity, and happiness. Some of our top clients include Microsoft, Aetna, DC Government, American Kidney Fund, Georgetown University Hospital, and DC Public as well as Charter Schools.

Each of our workshop facilitators are a licensed mental health therapists and holds extensive experience and integrity for the work we facilitate within companies. Visit?smiletherapyservices.com?and fill out the contact form so that we can best serve you.?

About the Author: Christi Venable, NCC, LPC, LCPC

Christi Venable, LPC is an award-winning Business Owner, Organizational Leadership and Culture Change Expert, Therapist and Speaker. She’s the founder of SMILE Therapy Services, a multi-million dollar mental health organization that she managed to build from the ground up.

SMILE Therapy Services is committed to providing top-notch mental health services that help people heal and lead happier lives through transformative counseling — one person, one spirit, and one smile at a time.

In 2020, Christi was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Person of the Year for Washington D.C. In 2022, Christi was named Enterprising Woman of the Year awardee by the Enterprising Women Company. SMILE has also been identified as one of the fastest growing companies by Inc. 5000.

As a minority and women-owned company, she’s proud to be certified with WBENC, 8a and NMSDC.