Working and caring for an older family member at the same time? Discussing the situation with your manager could make a difference to your work-life balance.
Juggling work life whilst caring for an older family member can be extremely difficult. The demands of work and caring can take their toll on stress levels.
However, discussing the situation with your manager can help make a difference. You and your employer can do a number of things to improve the balance between working and caring.
talk to your manager
If you are caring for an older family member, talking through your caring situation with your manager will help them to understand your situation and the impact it may have on your work responsibilities. They may even be familiar with your situation - according to employers' organisation Employers For Carers two million carers also work full time.
You may find that your organisation has provisions in place that you weren’t aware of. They may be able to offer:
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flexible working hours to enable you to arrive and leave at different times without feeling guilty – you can’t always predict when you’ll be needed
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job sharing or working part-time or compressed hours to take some of pressure off, freeing up time for you to care
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working from home gives you the option of caring whilst you work. Home working can also offer a break from commuting, which can be stressful, especially if your caring role also requires you to travel long distances
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time off in emergencies – a right for everyone, but carers can also take time off if they have difficulties in arranging care or if the person they care for is ill or has an accident
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career breaks to enable you to take an amount of time off to care for someone, with the benefit of being able to return to your job afterwards. Some employers offer paid sabbaticals. If you take an unpaid career break, you may be able to claim allowances.
support available
Employers may also be able to offer:
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permission to use the work telephone for personal calls, so that you are easily contactable if there is a problem
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car parking space near work, to help cut your journey time and allow you to respond to care needs quickly
Your employer may be able to offer additional forms of support such as:
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councilling
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mentoring or ‘buddying’
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access to more information
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referral to a carer’s network
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referral to an employee assistance programme
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frequent discussions with your manager.
Carer’s charity Carer’s UK has more information on carer’s rights at work
Why not start a debate about carer's work-life balance on the discussions forums?
