How to Balance Caregiving Requirements and Workplace Expectations If Your Company Is Returning to the Office

Over the last few years, many employers have made the move away from the office, allowing many of their employees to work from home. For senior caregivers, those changes have provided an extremely welcome relief. You have been on hand, able to take care of a senior loved one, without having to worry that work would fall through the cracks in the meantime.

Many workplaces, however, are now pushing for a return to the office. How can you balance the requirements of caregiving and the expectations of your workplace?

1. Be Clear About Your Needs

Talk to your employer about your ongoing needs, and be clear about any accommodations you may need if your employer requires a full return to the office. For example, you may need to:

• Prioritize health and safety. You may need to continue wearing a mask in the office, especially if your senior loved one is medically vulnerable. 
• Work from home at least part of the time when possible. 
• Arrange your schedule to be able to take your loved one to appointments. 

If you talk to your employer soon after the return to the office is announced, you may be able to make arrangements that will work for your needs. 

2. Know Your Rights

Under FMLA, you may have the right to take time off to take care of caregiving responsibilities. In order to qualify for FMLA, you may need to have worked for an employer for at least 12 months, and you may have to work at a location that employs at least 50 employees. FMLA is not guaranteed paid time off, but it does help protect your job when you need to take care of a family member. 

3. Arrange for Help as Needed

While you were able to work from home, it might have been reasonable for you to expect to care for a family member in need of considerable care services on your own. As you go back to the office, however, you may need more assistance. Talk to your family about what you can reasonably take on now that you're headed back to the office, as well as what help your senior loved one will need. 

If you need additional support beyond what other family members can offer, do not be afraid to reach out to a senior caregiving company to seek the help you need. Carefully consider your senior loved one's ongoing needs and make sure that you have the right support on hand, rather than trying to do it all on your own.

Find Someone to Help Your Senior Loved One When You Go Back to the Office

If you need additional help for a senior loved one as you head back to the office, Senior Helpers Moanalua-Honolulu can help. We offer support services, including senior caregiving and sitting services, to seniors in the Honolulu and Fort Shafter area. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help with your return to the office.