Age concerns

Elder care may still not be on the agenda of many UK HR directors, but for employees it is a very real issue. Last month Human Resources magazine teamed up with pollster YouGov to find out just how dark a cloud the prospect of caring for elderly parents represents for staff now and in the immediate future. The survey generated 2,850 responses, weighted to represent the British population, and the results were surprising to say the least. Of the respondents 9% already have at least one of their parents living with them who they care for directly or who is looked after by a member of their family. Currently 33% of carers believe their employer has a duty to help employees. Employees say that only 8% of their bosses have an elder care policy in place, while only 2% say their employer provides elder care benefits.