What caregivers really need at their workplace

Caregiver employees are heavily burdened with professional and personal responsibilities, leaving them no room to think of themselves

- Geetika Sachdev

A 42-year-old in Mumbai who works at a corporate company is always exhausted. Her mother, a retired advocate, fractured her spine two years ago, leaving her bedridden. Since then, the Mumbaiite, who works as a marketing head, has had to take on a more proactive role at home. But at work too, the pile of tasks seems unending.

“There are times when I don’t have an ounce of energy to do anything, which ultimately weakens my capacity to extend emotional support to my mother. Similarly, work takes a hit. On such days, I feel guilt-ridden and helpless,” the employee, who doesn’t want to be named, confesses.

This isn’t an isolated case. Whether it’s taking care of ageing parents, raising a child with a disability or assuming charge of domestic responsibilities, caregiving takes on various forms and roles. What’s more, the burden of caregiving dramatically increased during covid-19 with the global health crisis particularly impacting the older population with comorbidities.

A global survey conducted by leading science and technology company Merck in 2021 revealed how almost four in 10 (39%) Indian millennials assumed the role of a caregiver for the first time during the pandemic, vis à vis the global average of 20%.

That’s not all. The average time carers spent caregiving grew by 7.6 hours a week to 24.2 hours, as compared to 16.6 hours during pre-pandemic times, reports the study.

“One of the most used words by caregivers is exhaustion, which happens at an emotional, mental and physical level. The paucity of time often leads to high levels of stress and an overwhelming sense of guilt for being unable to do everything,” shares Nayamat Bawa, head therapist at IWill, a leading digital and AI-based mental health and wellness platform.

UNHEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE