Caregiving employee: how to reconcile work and care on a daily basis?

What is care?

Some definitions

Care refers to all of aid, support and support actions that a person, called a “caregiver”, carries out for a loved one who is losing autonomy. This assistance can take various forms: personal care, mobility assistance, moral support, moral support, management of administrative procedures, etc. In France, the term “caregiving employee” is used to define workers who carry out this support task in addition to their employment.Helping employees can be men or women, managers or employees, and work with family members, such as parents, children or spouses. This role, although sometimes invisible, is essential for social cohesion.

Who is concerned?

Helping employees represent a growing share of the active population in France. According to a study carried out by the B2V Memory Observatory, nearly 11 million French people are caregivers, and among them, about 47% combine this commitment with a professional activity. This figure shows that carers are mostly employees, often facing significant challenges in terms of organization and life balance.In addition, a study by the IFOP Institute in 2022 highlights that nearly 30% Helping employees are facing difficulties in managing their working hours. Help may occur at any time in professional life of a person and does not affect a particular socio-professional category. The majority of caregivers are women : 66% and the average age of entry into caregiving is 35 years old.

In what situations can we say that we are caregivers?

We talk about help in several cases. Generally, an employee becomes a caregiver when a loved one, due to old age, a chronic illness, an accident or a disability, partially or completely loses his autonomy. This loved one may be an elderly parent, a spouse with a serious medical condition (such as cancer or Alzheimer's), a disabled child, or a brother or sister requiring special attention.Caregiver status does not only depend on the frequency of the assistance provided, but of its regularity and impact about daily life. Indeed, it is possible to be a caregiver while not living under the same roof as the person being accompanied. What matters is the constant involvement and daily responsibilities that this situation imposes on the employee.

Great responsibilities that bring great powers

The challenges that caregiving employees face

Helping employees face numerous challenges, both personally and professionally. Some of the main obstacles include:

• Lack of time: juggling professional responsibilities with the obligations of supporting a loved one can become a challenging task. Many caregivers find themselves having to sacrifice their leisure time, or even their own health, to manage to reconcile everything.
• Physical and emotional fatigue: help is often a source of exhaustion. Support tasks, especially when it comes to heavy care, can be exhausting. In addition, the mental load associated with caregiving, combined with professional stress, contributes to a state of increasing emotional fatigue.
• Professional precariousness: some helping employees have to reduce their working hours or take unpaid leave to take care of their loved ones. This can have significant financial consequences. Some may even consider quitting their job due to the lack of appropriate support solutions.
• Social isolation: many caregivers express feelings of isolation. The combination of responsibilities often prevents them from maintaining an active social life, which increases their feeling of loneliness.

The skills they develop

Although the challenges are numerous, helping employees also develop unique skills and qualities:

• Resilience: Faced with daily difficulties, caregivers develop a great capacity to overcome obstacles. This resilience allows them to better manage stress and deal with the unexpected, whether in their personal or professional lives.
• Managing time and priorities: carers learn to organize their schedule rigorously to balance their various responsibilities. This skill is often transferable to their work, where they excel at managing projects and prioritizing tasks.
• Empathy and patience: helping a loved one in difficulty requires great empathy and unfailing patience. These qualities are valuable in the professional environment, especially in jobs where human interaction is at the heart of concerns.
• Versatility: by being both employees and caregivers, these people are able to juggle different roles and acquire great versatility. This ability to adapt quickly to new situations is a significant asset.

How to help and support them

It is essential to recognize and support helping employees, both at the level of companies and public policies. By implementing a policy for family caregivers, companies that take up the subject allow their caring employees to better reconcile their professional and personal lives. Here are some solutions that could allow them to better balance work and help:

• Scheduling arrangements : offering flexible hours or teleworking to assisting employees can allow them to organize their day according to the needs of the person being cared for and to alleviate their organizational mental load
• Caregiver leave : in France, caregiving leave allows some employees to temporarily interrupt their activity to take care of a loved one with a loss of autonomy. This leave may be compensated under certain conditions.
• Training and awareness-raising for managers : it is important for managers to be trained to recognize the specific needs of assisting employees. An empathetic and understanding approach can make all the difference for these workers who are juggling heavy responsibilities.
• Access to support services and check financing CESU : it is possible to set up partnerships with associations or services specialized in supporting caregivers. This may include home childcare services, administrative assistance, and psychological support and associated funding.
• Discussion groups and support networks : setting up discussion groups within the company would allow caregivers to share experiences, support each other and break the isolation they often face.

The important thing in a support policy is to adapt to each personal situation. Each caregiver generally has a vision of what they need. Listening, dialogue and empathy allow us to discuss the subject in order to find the best possible organization.

In conclusion...

Being a helping employee is a daily challenge that requires careful organization and great resilience. Businesses, public authorities and society as a whole have a role to play to help these millions of French people reconcile their professional life and their role as caregivers. By taking into account the specific needs of assisting employees and by offering them appropriate support, it is possible to improve their personal well-being and their quality of life at work.