Increasing Access to Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces: Stakeholder Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health
• Workplace Studies

Background:

• Approximately 70% of U.S. family caregivers are employed, facing significant challenges balancing work and caregiving responsibilities.
• These challenges can negatively impact their financial well-being, highlighting the need for workplace support.
• The National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers (2022) emphasizes workplace protections and supports.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather stakeholder perspectives on effective caregiver-friendly workplace policies.
• To identify key issues and strategies for encouraging the adoption of supportive workplace environments.
• To inform the development of the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with 34 individuals from stakeholder organizations.
• Data collection focused on identifying challenges and opportunities for creating caregiver-friendly workplaces.
• The study employed qualitative methods to explore diverse stakeholder viewpoints.

Main Results:

• Stakeholders emphasized the necessity of systematic approaches to foster caregiver-friendly workplaces.
• Key themes included the importance of supportive work environments and employer variation in capacity.
• A range of policy options is needed to accommodate diverse employer and employee needs.

Conclusions:

• Supportive workplace environments are crucial for employed family caregivers.
• Flexible and varied policy options are essential to address employer and employee heterogeneity.
• Data plays a vital role in informing employers and policymakers about effective support strategies.