Support for Caregivers: Practices of the 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50

Sometimes called the "sandwich generation," age-50+ employees are often challenged by the responsibilities of caring for their parents, holding down jobs, and even raising children—all at the same time. The 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 understand the pressures people face when juggling these demands. More than 90 percent of the 50 honorees have programs designed specifically to help employees deal with caregiving issues. They do this through education, resource and referral programs, time off to provide care, and help with caregiving costs.

 

The AARP Best Employers recognize that education is particularly important in helping an employee when he or she is first confronted with a caregiving situation. Many, like Brevard Public Schools in Viera, Fla., provide education through an Employee Assistance Program. Brevard’s EAP includes an Internet resource called LifeHub, which provides ask-an-expert advice lines, articles, online seminars, and quick tips.

 

Brevard Public Schools even provides an annual district-wide symposium for its employees, at which representatives from agencies within the county provide information and answer questions. Brevard also offers regular support-group meetings for employee caregivers on topics such as home safety, assisting with personal care, healthy eating, caring for the caregiver, legal and financial issues, and Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

 

Many of the AARP Best Employers make caregiving resource and referral programs available to their employees. In fact, more than 80 percent offer referral services to assist with elder care. Programs include a full menu of referral resources, such as those for:

 

 

Of course, there are times when a sandwich-generation employee has to take some time off to address caregiving needs. Through programs that allow this time off, employees are able to keep their jobs, and employers are able to retain experienced talent.

 

The Principal Financial Group, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, implemented a program called "Working Caregiver Leave" in 2002 to specifically address this need. Under the WCL program, an employee can work a part-time schedule of at least 20 hours a week for up to 12 weeks a year, while maintaining guaranteed job security and full benefits. This program can be used in addition to the leave provided through the Family Medical Leave Act.

 

In caregiving situations, employees must often hire professionals to care for their relatives while they are at work or traveling. To help with these costs, a number of the AARP Best Employers provide some type of financial assistance. For example, employees at SC Johnson, a consumer products company headquartered in Racine, Wis., may be reimbursed up to $50 a night to cover costs associated with child or elder care when traveling on company business.

 

Other employers offer discounts or reduced rates for child- and elder-care assistance. Scottsdale Healthcare in Scottsdale, Ariz., offers a family leave-of-absence program that provides up to 24 months off to care for children, spouses, parents, and parents-in-law. Moreover, it permits employees to continue health care coverage for the first 12 months at the same cost, as if they were actively working. Scottsdale reports that the savings from the health-insurance continuation is more than $16,000 in premiums, versus COBRA coverage, for 12 months.

 

AARP Best Employers recognize that the caregiving issue is one that will continue to grow and cannot be ignored for age-50+ workers. By actively addressing this issue, AARP Best Employers are better positioned to retain this important segment of the workforce.