The impact of juggling work and life in today’s busy world is already difficult for many of us. When our parents, loved ones or relatives start to reach the age where they need extra help or become ill, it becomes difficult for many of us to fully give the support required and cope with the additional emotional toll.
1 in 7 of the workforce being a carer may seem like a huge statistic, but when broken down it really does hit home. If not yourself then it’s likely that you know someone close to you who is caring at the moment; maybe a friend whose mum has early signs of dementia or a colleague whose dad took a fall and needs help getting the basics in.
“72% of workplace carers state they have experienced mental ill health””
The impact of becoming a carer is often life-changing and long term. Increasingly, many people are becoming ‘sandwich’ carers; looking after young families and ageing relatives whilst working.
72% of those who are in this position have stated they have experienced mental ill health and 61% a worse state of physical health, attributing these to a lack of support.
“A fundamental change to work practices is needed”
If you’re looking after a workforce, or even in this position yourself, you may wonder what can be done differently.
We believe that there needs to be a fundamental change to work practices, one where companies support their employees and can understand the challenges they face.
Offering simple volunteering support from other colleagues and team members can have a huge impact on the mental health and physical well-being of those employees who are carers.
Having the space to have an evening break while in safe knowledge that a volunteer is helping with shopping or simply having a chat can make all the difference to the weekly battle of being a carer while working.
If you’re interested in how OnHand can help your workforce, book a demo today: https://www.beonhand.co.uk/book-a-demo