The Sandwich Generation and Working CaregiversHow HR Can Guide Employees

Caught in the Middle

Agenda

Introductions

Define Sandwich Generation

Understand Challenges

Impact of Working Caregivers to Employers

Impact to Individuals who are Family Caregivers

Share Strategies to Support Employees who are Working Caregivers

Who is the ‘Sandwich Generation’?

Middle aged adults who:

Have a parent 65 or older

Raising one or more children

Financially supporting a grown child

Who is the sandwich generation?

4 in 10 provides emotional support to both an aging parent and a grown child

The Sandwich Generation: Rising Financial Burdens for Middle-Aged Americans (Pew Research Center, January 2013)

Who is the sandwich generation?

1 in 7 provides financial support to both an aging parent and a child

The Sandwich Generation: Rising Financial Burdens for Middle-Aged Americans (Pew Research Center, January 2013)

Contributing Factors to Being ‘Sandwiched’

Longer life spans

Living longer but not healthier

Smaller families

Low caregiver support ratio results in care gap

Delay in marriage as well as child-bearing

Results in likelihood to still have children in home as parents age

Children living at home longer – during/after college years

More women in the workplace

Meet MaryOne scenario of a Working Caregiver

MaryMarried, 3 kids Works full time

Her mother is 79 years old;

diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Work StressArriving late and missing more time at work due to

mom’s needs and appointments. Unfocused

and making mistakes. Manager and coworkers

have taken notice.

Health DeclineLess time results in eating more processed/fast food.

Previous weight lost has crept back. Sleep and exercise has reduced

significantly.

RelationshipsLess quality time with husband. Child active

in sports. Married daughter just had first baby (first grandchild).

Mom moved in.

Caregiving StrainProviding direct care to mom. Starting to resent mom’s increasing needs.

Neighbor can no longer help in watching mom. Nearest

sibling lives 100 miles away.

Financial StressHelping with college

daughter’s tuition and insurance. Need to find a paid home care aide

for mom while she is at work. Mom’s income is

limited to SS.

Demographics of Working Caregivers

6 in 10 family caregivers are employed

MetLife Study of Working Caregivers and Employer Health Costs (National Alliance for Caregiving and MetLife Mature Market Institute. February 2010)

Demographics of Employee Caregivers

17%

35%

48%

34% 33% 33%

18 - 39 YRS 40 - 49 YRS 50+ YRS

Caregiver and Non-Caregiver Employees, by Age

Caregiver Non-Caregiver

The MetLife Study of Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs (National Alliance for Caregiving and MetLife Mature Market Institute, February 2010)

Demographics of Caregivers

66% Female

34% Male

Gender of Caregivers

Female Male

Caregiving in the U.S. (National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP, November 2009)

Magnitude and Economics of Caregiving

65.7 Million Unpaid/Informal Caregivers in the US 29% of the total U.S. adult population care for someone ill, disabled, or aged

Average of 20 hours per week spent on providing care to loved one

13% spend 40 hours or more per week

$450 Billion Annually Value of unpaid caregiver services

Caregiving in the United States (National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP, November 2009)

Valuing the Invaluable (The Economic Value of Family Caregiving; AARP Public Policy Institute, 2011 Update)

Financial Impact to Employers

$25.2 billion Cost to U.S Economy

Annually in lost productivity (average cost is $200 per day)

126,222,624 workdays annually Total number of lost workdays among full time employees due to caregiving

(17%)

$13.4 billion Due to 8% differential in increased healthcare costs between caregiving and

non-caregiving employees

Caregiving Costs U.S. Economy $25.2 Billion in Lost Productivity (Gallup Healthways Wellbeing Survey, July 2011)

The MetLife Study of Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs (National Alliance for Caregiving and MetLife Mature Market Institute, February 2010)

Financial Impact to Employees

$3 Trillion!!!Total estimated aggregate lost wages, pension, and Social Security benefits of caregivers of parents

Lost wages due to leaving workforce early because of caregiving responsibilities

$142,693 (Lost Wages)

$131,351 (Loss of Social Security Benefits)

$50,000 (Loss of Pension -Conservative Estimate)

$324,044 = Total Cost Impact of Caregiving for Women

$89,107 (Lost Wages)

$144,609 (Loss of Social Security Benefits)

$50,000 (Loss of Pension -Conservative Estimate)

$283,716 = Total Cost Impact of Caregiving for Men

Women Men

Study of Working Caregivers and Employer Health Costs: Double Jeopardy for Baby Boomers Caring for their Parents (MetLife Mature Market Group and National Alliance for Caregiving, June 2010)

Financial Impact to Employees

$5,531 Annually Out of Pocket Amount spent by the average family caregiver for someone 50 years or

older in 2007 (more than 10% of the median income for a family caregiver that year)

47% Percentage of working caregivers who have used up all or most of their

savings due to increased caregiving expenses

Valuing the invaluable (The Economic Value of Family Caregiving and AARP Public Policy Institute, 2011 Update)

Evercare Survey of the Economic Downturn and Its Impact on Family Caregiving (National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare, March 2009)

When Work and Caregiving Collide

Absenteeism

Presenteeism

Stress

Distraction at Work

Decline in health

Retention issues

Managing the workplace when employees have to take time off

Lost productivity

Increased cost of healthcare costs/benefits

Employees Employers

What resources, benefits, and suggestions can your company offer to help sandwiched employees with caregiving responsibilities?

Flexibility

Manager

Get creative on options

Advocate for employee

Encourage self-care and respite

Company

Educational workshops

Promote benefits and resources

Offer professional contacts and support

Employee

Share needs

Offer suggestions

Create plan on how work will get done

Modify Schedule

Telecommute

Short Term Leave

Job Share

Helping Employees Find Balance

What I Can Delegate

(tasks that can cause stress)

What I Do

(focus on quality time spent with

loved one)

Helping Employees Find BalanceFor Tasks that can be delegated, identify:

Who?

Are the care providers that can be recommended; or who in employee’s personal network can provide care & services

-

What?

Type of care needed (companion, food

prep, transportation, nursing care)

When?

Is the best time for employee and care

recipient

Where?

Location for care (home, senior

center, adult day care, assisted living)

Workplace Solutions - What can HR Professionals Do? Flexibility and Support for Employees

Provide flexibility in work hours (The most requested adjustment)

Flexible Leaves

Organize support for employees

In-house caregiver support groups

Brown-bag lunch sessions –presented by internal staff or external professionals

Coordination with local community groups/contactshospitals, hospice, etc

Evaluate HR/Company policies to ensure flexibility

Identify and seek out the ‘sandwiched’ at your company

Workplace Solutions - What can HR Professionals Do? Linking Health and Wellness to Caregiving

Wellness Programs

Stress reduction seminars/services

On-site yoga, exercise classes and massage therapy

Teach relaxation techniques and meditation

Mediation services for caregiving families in conflict

A certain number of hours of free legal and financial advice

Health coaching services and/or nursing hotline access

Financial incentives for preventative health measures

Smoking and alcohol cessation (clear link with caregiving)

Online support groups to employees who prefer them to on-site groups

Integrated Health and

Wellness for Employee Caregiver

Care Support

Budgeting/ Financial and Legal Guidance

Relationship Resources

Health and

Stress Manage

ment

Workplace Solutions - What can HR Professionals Do?Employer Paid Benefits

Paid time off

Paid Eldercare or Childcare Services

Group purchase of long term care insurance, or life insurance plans with ‘living benefits’ options

Cafeteria style dependent care coverage to partially reimburse costs for in-home care or adult day care

Employee Assistance Programs

Workplace Solutions - What can HR Professionals Do?Educate and Train Employees

Title VII

Pregnancy Discrimination

Age Discrimination

American’s with Disabilities Act

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

Family Medical Leave Act

Paid Family Leave

State Disability Insurance Eligibility

Leverage multiple communication channels for to ensure employees are aware of resources and support available

Provide training for employees on Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Aid & Attendance Programs, estate and financial planning, etc.

Provide information on helpful sites, community services and resources

Publish key contacts, advice, and resources in company newsletter or intranet

Coaching for SupervisorsEducation and Support for

Employees

Sandwiched Employee

1. Meet with

Employee

2.Carefully and actively

listen to employee

3. Show concern and empathy for

the situation

4. Avoid making

assumption about the

situation or solutions

5. Offer support

with company & community resources

6. Consistently keep open

lines of communica-

tion

Manager Support

Workplace Solutions - What can HR Professionals Do? Other Ideas from AARP

Adopt a model for preventing discrimination Make it part of policy and culture

Evaluate based on performance not assumptions on commitment

Consider hourly staff Revaluate policies related to no-fault absenteeism that terminate based on number of absences

or tardies regardless of the reason

Implement recruitment practices for people with family caregiving responsibilities Those looking to enter or re-enter the workplace

Offer caregiving support, resources, and referral services to employees (and resources on ways to pay for them) Referral to caregiving, nanny, respite, transportation service in community

Discounted back-up homecare, babysitting, or transportation needs for emergency needs

Protecting Family Caregivers from Employment Discrimination (AARP Public Policy Institute, August 2012)

What HR Professionals and Managers SHOULD NOT Do!!

Treat male caregivers more favorably than female caregivers (or vice versa)

Deny women with young children or aging parents an employment opportunity that is available to men in the same situation

Stereotype based on sex of working employees

Reassign a women to less desirable projects based on the assumption that as a new mother, she will be less committed to her job

Reduce a female employee’s workload after she assumes full time responsibility of her niece and nephew based on the assumption that as a female caregiver, she will not want to work overtime

Examples of What Not to Do

DO NOT -

What HR Professionals and Managers SHOULD NOT Do!!

Make decisions subjectively

Lower subjective evaluations of a female employee’s work performance after she becomes the primary caregiver of her grandchildren, despite the absence in actual work performance

Denial of a promotion or based on stereotypes of how mothers/fathers and children of aging parents should act

Discriminate against working fathers

Deny a male caregiver leave to care for parent on hospice under circumstances where such leave would be granted to a female caregiver

Examples of What Not to Do

DO NOT -

What HR Professionals and Managers SHOULD NOT Do!!

Violate ADA Statues

Stereotype based on association with an individual with a disability or chronic illness

Unlawfully refuse to modify duties

Create a hostile work environment for caregivers

Subject an employee to severe or pervasive harassment because

He/she is a parent with young children

She is pregnant or taking maternity leave

He/she is caring for an aging or disabled family member

His/her spouse has a disability

RETALIATE!!!

Examples of What Not to Do

DO NOT -

Additional Resources

Local Services

San Diego Aging and Independent Services

Southern Caregiver Resource Center

Eldercare Resources San Diego

Caregiver Coalition

211 San Diego

Network of Care

Certified Senior Advisors

Large network of professional contacts in San Diego

Eldercare Calculator

Allows employers to calculate their own costs

ReACT CoalitionRespect a Caregiver’s Time

Have the Conversation

Demonstrate Flexibility

Embrace Caregiving as the New Normal

Keep Caring for Caregivers

Four Steps for Supporting Employees with Caregiving Responsibilities

Thank you!

Christine Davies, SPHRCertified Senior Advisor (CSA)Managing Director of Casa Companion Homecare Solutions

www.casacompanionhomecare.com

christine@casacompanionhomecare.com