Choosing between work and and caring for an elder

How do you deal with an employer who is pushing you to make the choice between work and caring for your elder?

This week’s question came from a caregiver having a hard time at work. She takes care of her mother who is afflicted with Parkinson’ s Disease. Already in a stressful situation, her boss doesn’t make it easier for her when she returns to work after having taken her mom to the hospital. You may be in a similar situation with your work. I’m fortunate to have my own business so I don’t have anyone to answer to, but I’m unique in that way. Most people have a 9-5 job that they struggle to keep and in many situations, are forced to give up their career to become full-time caregivers to their parents.  Is there any recourse?

Well, besides quitting your boss should be aware of (and if they are not you should educate them or involve the Human Resources Department) the Family Leave Act of 1993. The FMLA is an unpaid mandate (costs paid by employers) requiring larger employers to provide unpaid leave to certain workers in the United States. The law recognizes the growing needs of balancing family, work, and obligations, and promises numerous protections to workers.

What other options can you talk to your boss about? Depending on the type of work you do, you may want to ask about telecommuting opportunities from home. This is something my brother gets to do from home on occasion. He remotely accesses his computer at work and is able to work as if he’s in the office. If your company is a smaller one or doesn’t offer this type of perk, you may want to bring it up to the powers that be. Having this kind of option allows workers to be more productive and saves money and time in a lot of cases.

If you can afford it, you can also hire someone to assist with  taking your loved one to appointments and only designating the important appointments for yourself. Regardless, the Family Act is law so your employer is obliged to follow it. If they violate it in any way, you can seek legal counsel.

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Tags: Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, Telecommuting, work and caregiving

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 10:24 pm and is filed under Caregiving, Coping, Legal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.