Covid-19 forced an unexpected, yet necessary inflection point upon both employers and employees. Business and HR leaders had to react quickly to a public health crisis. It was the biggest physical and psychological workplace adjustment we\u2019ve ever experienced \u2013 on a massive scale and at a dizzying pace.<\/p>\n
As jarring as 2020\u2019s shift to remote work was, 2021\u2019s return-to-work transition is shaping up to be even more disruptive<\/a>.<\/p>\n One message is clear. In survey<\/a> after survey<\/a> after survey<\/a>, employees agree that they don\u2019t want to return to the \u201cbefore times\u201d workplace. They\u2019re anxious<\/a> about giving up their flexibility, concerned about contracting Covid-19, and dread going back to those workday commutes.<\/p>\n All this worry<\/a> makes sense. Over the last 15 months, we\u2019ve had more control over when and where work gets done, and \u2013 most importantly \u2013 how we care for ourselves and those around us. We got accustomed to fitting work around life, not the other way around. To our morning workouts. To spending more time with our kids. To walking the dog at lunch time. To taking mom to her afternoon doctor\u2019s appointment. To squeezing in a much-needed 15-minute meditation session in between Zoom meetings.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t want to lose what we quietly admit are the things we enjoyed about pandemic work\/life: the freedom and flexibility that has made our lives better than before. And many of us are happier<\/a> and more productive<\/a> because of it.<\/p>\n Care is a small word with big meaning. The pandemic expanded our definition of care as a universal need that takes many forms, all of them affecting both employees and employers. Care is more than finding a babysitter to watch the kids or helping with mom or dad. It\u2019s a timesaver. A stress reliever. It helps us with managing everyday commitments and<\/em> life\u2019s unexpected moments. Care lets us be our authentic selves and helps us get stuff done at home and at work.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how companies are responding to the need for care.<\/p>\n Care for working parents and their children<\/p>\n Before the pandemic, child care was somewhat routine for most working parents. Like clockwork, you\u2019d drop off the kids at daycare, Monday through Friday, from 8-6. But with more flexibility in how, when, and where we work, employees\u2019 child care needs are less linear and more unpredictable. There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to care. Gone are the days of inflexible corporate daycare centers.<\/p>\n Due to a lack of child care during the pandemic, working parents lost eight hours per week<\/a> on average individually, and nearly 15 hours per week combined with a spouse or partner. Now, parents simply won\u2019t tolerate working for a company that doesn\u2019t provide child care benefits \u2013 whether it\u2019s a large enterprise or a small or medium-sized business.<\/p>\n Care.com\u2019s Future of Benefits report<\/a> found that 61% of HR leaders are deprioritizing on-site day care facilities in lieu of more flexible child care benefits. These can include in-home care, nanny shares, child care subsidies and stipends, backup care<\/a>, even help with summer school programs and on-demand tutoring (which parents love<\/em> after a year of watching their kids struggle with pandemic learning loss).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Care for aging parents and elderly loved ones<\/strong><\/p>\n America is getting older<\/a>, and that means our aging population will need more care. Much of that burden falls on family members. As of 2020, there were more than 41 million Americans<\/a> caring for a family member or friend aged 50 or older, a number that swelled by more than 8 million since 2015. And, nearly half of all middle-aged Americans<\/a> are \u201csandwiched\u201d between raising children and caring for aging or ailing parents, putting tremendous strain on their mental, physical, and financial health, and on their relationships.<\/p>\n The pandemic has forced many families to reconsider<\/a> placing their elderly family members in nursing homes, opting instead for more flexible options like in-home care so they can age in place. Care.com research<\/a> found that, despite the isolation and depression brought on by the pandemic, 62% still prefer to age within their homes.<\/p>\n But arranging and paying for senior care can be a complicated and time-consuming endeavor \u2013 and it\u2019s increasingly difficult for employees who are also taking care of themselves, their kids, and working a full-time job. That\u2019s why 41% of HR leaders plan to expand their senior care offerings<\/a> this year, including access to senior care advisors<\/a> who are Masters\u2010level social workers and work one\u2010on\u2010one with employees and their families to provide personalized guidance, resources, and care plans. Employer-provided advisors find, match, and vet senior care providers including assisted living facilities and nursing homes. They also offer local referrals and education, design plans on how to pay for care, help relocate an aging family member, and provide assistance to help seniors age in place safely at home.<\/p>\n Care for mental health and wellness<\/strong><\/p>\n The pandemic has done a number on our mental health and wellbeing. More than half of workers are experiencing burnout<\/a> this year, and more than two-thirds say burnout got worse during the pandemic, according to a March 2021 survey by Indeed<\/a>.<\/p>\n The pandemic has also ushered in a new era of compassion and understanding for the mental health issues that employees have long been suffering from in silence. HR leaders are helping employees take better care of themselves whenever and wherever it works best for them \u2013 including sleep health apps, fitness and nutrition programs, virtual talk therapy, and counselors who can help employees cope with anxiety and stress.<\/p>\n Taking time away from work to decompress and recharge is another way employers are offering support. The New York Times<\/a>, Cisco<\/a>, and SAP<\/a> are all giving their employees mental health days this year. Some are taking it a step further. PwC<\/a> is giving employees $250 if they take a week\u2019s vacation in the next year. And in April, LinkedIn<\/a> gave its entire workforce a collective paid week off.<\/p>\n Wellness apps and extra vacation days<\/a> won\u2019t solve mental health issues, but they\u2019re an encouraging sign that employers are starting to recognize and de-stigmatize the problem. \u201cI think it\u2019s important to note that this is not an issue that will be solved with a single initiative,\u201d notes<\/a> Dan Healey, head of HR at SAP. \u201cTo prioritize mental health means to support employees for the long term and continue to adopt benefits and initiatives that reflect their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Care for life’s moments – big and small<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the advantages of lockdown work\/life was the ability to get \u201clife stuff\u201d done in between meetings, emails, and calls \u2013 not squeeze it in at the end of a busy workday or on the weekends like we used to. More time at home has afforded many of us more time to tackle all the big and little things that feel like a second, unpaid job (that disproportionately falls on women<\/a>): household chores, scheduling doctor\u2019s appointments, planning birthday parties, food planning. The list goes on and on, and it never ends.<\/p>\n Many companies are offering employees personalized options to help them take care of everything from everyday tasks to life\u2019s biggest challenges, saving them time, stress, and money and boosting their productivity at work. Whether it\u2019s through online platforms like Care.com<\/a> or via highly trained personal care specialists<\/a>, these solutions can be a lifesaver for employees who need help finding care for their family, their pets, and their home. They can also provide support in tackling life\u2019s more complex issues, like relocating, natural disaster relief, food insecurity, and much more.<\/p>\n Care for pets<\/strong><\/p>\n Millions of pets found forever homes during the pandemic. And every<\/em> pet parent, whether they\u2019re a rookie or a veteran, formed close bonds with their four-legged family members last year. But the prospect of returning to the office has pet parents anxious about how being gone all day will affect the physical and mental wellbeing of their furry companions. Sixty-nine percent of pet parents are stressed about what returning to work will mean for their pets, and 56% are worried about leaving their pet home all day without any supervision or exercise, according to a recent Petco survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n To give pet parents peace of mind, companies are doing everything from welcoming pets back into the office<\/a> to allowing more flexibility<\/a> for employees to work remotely so they can be with their pets. Other popular, pet-friendly perks include offering workers pet insurance<\/a> and giving them premium access to online platforms<\/a> to find a dog walker or a cat sitter.<\/p>\n Care isn’t just an employee need – it’s a business imperative<\/strong><\/p>\n As the worst days of the pandemic fade away, people are taking stock of their lives, reevaluating their careers<\/a>, and considering a fresh start built around who and what matters most to them. That may be why 41% of employees are considering leaving their current employer this year, and why 46% are likely to move because remote work is now an option, according to findings from Microsoft\u2019s 2021 Work Trend Index<\/a>.<\/p>\n The one certainty employers have as they head into the post-pandemic future of work is that they\u2019ll need to build a personalized care infrastructure for employees that provides both greater flexibility and the expanded definition of care. Businesses that embrace this approach are the ones who will attract and keep the best people. They\u2019re also the ones who will see a happier and healthier workforce, increased productivity, greater employee loyalty and retention, and growth.<\/p>\n ********<\/p>\n