Support Employees With Senior Parents

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Checklist

Support Employees With Senior Parents

Purpose:

To help managers whose employees have to balance their work with the special needs of their aging parents.

Thousands of people, particularly Baby Boomers, can also be called the "Sandwich Generation." They must care for both their children and aging parents. Some managers are trying to thread the fine balance with these employees. If they have been valuable employees, managers will want tips to help retain them by assisting this balance.

Five Ways to Support Employees who Care for Elderly Parents

When you first hear about it, be supportive. Listen, be flexible, and ask how you can help.

Help your employee figure out how to get their work done, meet deadlines, or be productive around the issue.

Remind them of any Employee Assistance Program(s) your company might have. Point them to other community supports in your area.

Check your manual/employee handbook. See what kind of guidelines your company has for people who need leave for critical end-of-life-cycle events. If your handbooks has nothing, think of adding a policy. Approach HR to ask them to do it.

Ask your employee how they want to keep other employees informed of this situation. It will help them understand the accommodation better and increase their likelihood of being supportive.

This is an incredible opportunity to gain an employee's loyalty. For long term employees, life happens, and you need to find ways to keep them in the loop, so they can continue to be productive. Preparing for the increasingly common impact of senior dependents on an employee will improve your retention and even productivity.

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