Canadian Labour Reporter

7 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 CANADIAN LABOUR REPORTER ident of human resources for Home Depot of Canada — is comprised of industry leaders from small, medium and large-sized busi- nesses and will consult expert advisors on caregiving. The panel will seek to consult em- ployers across Canada in an effort to identify successful and promising workplace practices that support employees as they balance their work responsibilities with providing care for a loved one. Stewart knows from personal experience how exhausting providing care can be when working full-time. "It's pretty stressful and emotional," she said of caring for her father at home during the fi- nal stages of his life. "He passed away at home, which is what he wanted to do. We're very thankful that we were able to do that… because of compassionate care leave." But even with the compassionate care leave, Stewart said the strain of providing full-time care became too much for her family. A per- sonal support worker was brought in to take on some of that burden. "It puts quite a burden on families," she said. "The sad thing is that people don't recognize how important these benefits are until they go through it themselves. When it hits you personally, it's invaluable to have those oppor- tunities. As the senior population grows we know the demand for these programs is only going to increase." Currently, more than eight million Canadi- ans provide unpaid care to a family member or friend due to chronic or long-term illness, disability or aging. Many informal caregiv- ers struggle to balance their work and care responsibilities, and the Conference Board of Canada estimates that informal caregiving costs employers as much as $1.28 billion annu- ally in lost productivity as a result of caregivers missing work, quitting or losing their jobs. "Our government will work with employers through the Canadian Employers for Caregiv- ers Plan to help identify cost-effective solu- tions to support employed caregivers, help- ing them achieve a better balance of work and caring responsibilities," said Alice Wong, min- ister of state (seniors). "Our government's top priorities are creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity. That's why this initiative builds on existing federal measures that include a range of tax credits for caregiv- ers, the Employment Insurance Compassion- ate Care Benefit and other federal benefits." According to Employment and Social De- velopment Canada about 75 per cent of care- givers are employed. Seventy per cent of all caregivers provide support to a senior and the majority of employed caregivers themselves are over the age of 45. Janice Keefe, director of Mount Saint Vin- cent University's Nova Scotia Centre on Aging and an expert advisor to the Employer Panel for Caregivers, said there is a clear business case for employers to lead the charge in creat- ing accommodations for caregivers. "Drawing on employers is a very important piece of the puzzle," Keefe said. "And even though this panel is from the perspective of the employer… there's a real importance around assessing the needs of the caregiver, and what from their perspective would help to facilitate the responsibilities of work and the responsi- bilities of providing care." According to Keefe, about 17 per cent of caregivers spend more than 15 hours a week providing care. Providing care for a family member or friend can involve anything from preparing meals and providing transporta- tion to helping administer medication and providing palliative care. For those who must also balance the re- sponsibilities of work, time can become a seri- ous issue. Flexible arrangements including job shar- ing, teleworking or a compressed work week are possible accommodations for caregiv- ers, Keefe said. Alternative accommodations could involve the development of programs to link employees with other caregivers in an effort to provide support, eliminate feelings of isolation and improve knowledge of available resources and support programs. "It's positive, it's progressive and it's neces- sary," Stewart said of the CECP. In addition to providing benefits and ac- commodation that allow caregivers to stay home with their loved ones when it is neces- sary, Stewart said, professional services — like personal support workers — need to be made available as a respite when providing care be- comes more intense or specialized. Stewart said employers need to be proactive in their approach to creating accommodations for workers and be progressive in their think- ing. She compared the future of these types of benefits to the current views surrounding ma- ternity and parental leaves. "We certainly are looking into negotiating this type of benefit into our collective agree- ments now," she said. "Unions as well as other like-minded interest groups should also be involved in this discussion. The broader the think tank, the better. Innovative solutions at all levels can only be positive." news Photo: Jim Young (Reuters) Informal care can involve preparing meals, providing transportation or administering medication. The majority of caregivers provide support to a senior and are themselves over the age of 45. Caregiving costs employers $1.28 billion in lost productivity annually < from pg. 1

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