PARTNER OPINION
Keep pieces equal in age jigsaw Ben Black, Director My Family Care
S
uddenly everyone is
more vital to offer a bit of
Some organisations have
talking about multi-
flexibility. In addition, our
embraced the possibilities
generational human
parents are living longer
of more agile ways of work
resources polices. Why has
and often require help.
brilliantly. Others have not.
it become an issue? It’s all
There are now six million
about demographics and
working carers, with the
ultimately be about better
the changing nature of
numbers rising inexorably.
performance. It’s about
work.
Then there is the fact that
Agile working must
happier, more engaged
Generation Y is arriving
employees working better
medicine, healthier
into the wonderful world
and more productively and
lifestyles and the glorious
of work with all kinds of
the business benefiting
NHS, the average life
different expectations
from the results. Wherever
expectancy is on an ever-
and aspirations about
you fit into the multi-
upward trajectory. And as
the boundaries between
generational spectrum,
we live longer, so we are
personal career paths.
you might appreciate some
Thanks to modern
working longer: 30% of the
Put all that together and
“If you offer subsidised emergency childcare, why not offer eldercare support as well?”
flexibility. The business has
offer eldercare support
UK workforce is already
you have to feel a degree
to treat everyone the same.
as well? Why should the
over 50 and that figure is
of sympathy for our hard-
The working grandparent is
employee who has to
rising. Pension ages will
pressed HR departments. Of
just as keen to play a role in
pick up his mother from
continue to be pushed up.
course, multi-generational
their grandchildren’s lives
hospital not be supported
Most of us need to carry on
policies and approaches
as the 22-year-old aspiring
in the same way as the dad
working in any case. And
are needed, but it’s not the
canoeist is to try and fulfil
who’s stressed because
we’re a pretty loyal bunch:
easiest challenge out there.
his Olympic ambitions.
conjunctivitis stops
why wouldn’t we stay with
There are three parts to
And third, it’s about
his daughter attending
an employer where we’re
the jigsaw for employers.
making sure that benefits
daycare? We are about to
appreciated and supported
The first piece is cultural:
help everyone. Different
introduce various working
and we have an impact?
ensuring the organisation
benefits will obviously
grandparent resources for our clients.
understands the challenge.
appeal at different stages
children later. Professional
Getting different age groups
of life and the career cycle,
parents are now typically
to talk and share their
and understanding some
performer whose favourite
four years older than they
different, but often similar,
of the challenges your
labrador is on its last legs?
were 30 years ago. Older
life-work complications can
employees face is key.
Don’t they need to be
mothers and fathers equal
work wonders.
For example, if you offer
treated the same? We’re
The second piece to put
emergency childcare on a
not there with petcare yet,
in place is flexible working.
subsidised basis, why not
but it may well happen.
We’re also having
more senior working parents to whom it is even
www.flexibleboss.com
And what about the star
Flexible Boss: June 2015
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