A recent Wall Street Journal article shared some interesting perspective on added challenges faced by caregivers who are transitioning back to “office” work versus working remotely.
“Family caregivers—who make up 18% to 22% of the labor force, according to national surveys—are heading back to the workplace with a mix of fear, frustration and uncertainty as they attempt to resume office lives while managing care for loved ones,” the article said.
The piece goes on to point out that caregivers often find themselves running home during lunch hours to check on elders while others have invested in surveillance camera systems to monitor their elder’s well being throughout the workday. Many also worry about the risk of Infecting sick or frail family members with Covid-19, but at the same time are concerned that not going back to in-person work would harm their careers.
The article also shared some thought-provoking input from Jennifer Olsen, executive director of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, who said, “Pandemic work-from-home arrangements gave many caregivers new flexibility. But they also created expectations of job-related night and weekend work on top of everything else they are doing.”