Policies like unlimited vacation, remote work help employees manage life's demands

Policies like unlimited vacation and remote work help employees manage life's demands. These companies make it work for the bottom line too.

They call us "The Sandwich Generation"—the group of workforce-aged adults who are not only caring for their aging parents, but also balancing the needs of their own children.

It might be hard to understand the term until you experience it firsthand.

When my father-in-law had an unexpectedly difficult time recuperating from surgery last summer, I was stunned at just how upside-down it turned our lives.

If you’ve been through the prolonged hospitalization (or any other intense, sustained medical treatment) of a family member, you know: You may become an honorary nursing aide—or at least a frequent overnight guest at the medical facility.

It’s quite an adjustment, especially when the anxiety sets in: How will I be able to get back to work?

Having the privilege of a self-directed, flexible workplace provided a bit of peace during months of stress and uncertainty.

MANY OF US ARE FACING THIS WORK-LIFE CHALLENGE

According to the AARP, 61% of those who provide care for a family member older than 50 are also balancing employment, and half of today’s workforce expects to provide care for aging family members in the next five years.

Sixty-one percent of caregivers report making work accommodations because of caregiving, with the most common adjustment being changes to one’s work schedule: arriving late, leaving early, or taking time off during the day.

Source: techgig.com