The role of caregiving in the workforce transcends parenthood, and employers need to recognize the challenge that many face – juggling professional responsibilities and a caregiving role(s) is a constant, and oftentimes thankless, job. According to research by SHRM, paid paternity leave in the US is currently only being offered by 32% of employers; an increase from prior years, yet men aren’t always opting to take the full time allotted.
Remove the Stigma Associated with Caregiving
Fostering a culture that empowers employees to put themselves and their family’s needs first is essential, as it removes the stigma (and potential guilt and shame) associated with taking much-needed time off. Whether it be caring for a parent, grandparent, or child, organizations have an opportunity to ensure caregivers are aware of the resources and support available to them.
Employers have a multitude of strategies at their disposal to cultivate and enhance an inclusive environment for caregivers. By instituting resources and associated programs that can help relieve stress from their employees, they are, in effect, fortifying their organizational culture.
Nurture a Positive Work Culture
Resources and programs can vary, including the introduction of educational training programs aimed at equipping managers with enhanced communication skills or incorporating policies that offer flexible time-off arrangements. There is no one path employers must take to nurture a positive work culture. Offering inclusive benefits, and programs, like Employee Resource Groups, and publicly disclosing representation goals also show commitment to actioning and embedding a culture of inclusion.
Foster a Workplace that Promotes Authenticity
With this stigma, also comes the need to combat caregivers’ need to “cover” at work, where individuals hide or downplay aspects of their identity that may be perceived as different. Try implementing a learning program focused on covering that teaches leaders to identify the implied or explicit expectation employees feel to hide or diminish aspects of their identity and how they can prevent that on their teams.
Also, build practices into your talent management and selection processes, including training on unconscious bias, to raise awareness and mitigate disparate outcomes for people with caregiving responsibilities and ensure people who are on parental leave have equitable outcomes.
Attract and Retain Talent with an Inclusive Workplace
Companies need to focus on building cultural humility – it is essential for creating a dynamic and supportive workplace, encouraging both employees and leadership to adopt a learning mindset. Ultimately, this is crucial for personal and professional growth.
Creating an inclusive workplace, especially for caregivers, offers significant advantages for a company. An attractive workplace culture not only draws in top talent but also plays a crucial role in retaining high performers. Further, a robust culture serves as a key differentiator in the market, setting a company apart from its competitors.
The impact of an inclusive culture for caregivers – complete with relevant resources and programs – cannot be overstated. The benefits include enhanced employee performance, engagement, satisfaction and retention while ensuring employees feel valued and supported throughout. This will undoubtedly lead to a more productive and committed workforce, enabling your company to bring and keep strong talent from a diversity of experiences.
Matthew Coons is the Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Xero. Matthew is responsible for the D&I efforts in the Northern Hemisphere; including the US, Canada, the UK, and EMEA. Matthew is focused on driving a culture of inclusion through standing up Xero’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) program, developing organizational capability, and implementing data-driven approaches to drive systemic change within Xero. Matthew’s D&I journey began in grocery retail at Delhaize America, then into healthcare at Kaiser Permanente, before joining the tech industry with Xero. His belief is that D&I should be woven into the fabric of Xero – enabling people to live the values of #human and #beautiful every day. Matthew received his BSBA in HR Management from Appalachian State University along with his SHRM-SCP and PHR credentials.