There are 3.3 million caregivers in Ontario, people who provide physical and emotional support to a family member, partner, friend or neighbour. The majority (two thirds) are employed and many find it difficult to balance their job with their caregiving role, often resulting in increased stress, financial difficulties, isolation, and an impact on their physical and mental health.
In addition to the impact on people, workplaces face the cost of lost productivity, absenteeism, staff turnover and loss of skilled, experienced employees.This is a growing – but often hidden – workforce concern that needs greater awareness, understanding and action. The Ontario Caregiver Organization recognizes this need and is developing a program to help employers provide better support to their caregiving employees, including a Guide for Employers.
In addition to the impact on people, workplaces face the cost of lost productivity, absenteeism, staff turnover and loss of skilled, experienced employees.This is a growing – but often hidden – workforce concern that needs greater awareness, understanding and action. The Ontario Caregiver Organization recognizes this need and is developing a program to help employers provide better support to their caregiving employees, including a Guide for Employers.
In order to ensure that the program is as effective as possible, we are engaging workforce leaders to provide advice, guidance and feedback. We are particularly interested in hearing from senior workforce leaders with accountability for policies/practices relating to HR, equity and inclusion, organizational culture, and workforce productivity.