News Break: Eldercare Assistance From Work Goes Unused, Employers Claim

Juggling work and caregiving is often difficult. But your workplace may also be a source of help, points out Alexis Abramson, Ph.D., author of The Caregivers Survival Handbook—even if you don’t realize it.

In an article at TheHuffingtonPost.com about male caregivers and workplace discrimination, Abramson offers three tips “to promote a culture of caregiving in the workplace.” One of them simply involves asking questions:

Find out what’s available. Ask if your employer offers any type of eldercare employee assistance plan. If so, find out what’s available and how to use it. Many employers claim that they offer eldercare services but, according to them, their employees often don’t take advantage of these benefits.

Abramson’s other tips involve forming a coalition to make changes in the workplace and meeting on your own with co-workers who are fellow caregivers.

Does your workplace offer eldercare assistance? What kind? Have you found it helpful?