A survey found that more than half of employers do not inform their employees about their rights when they become cancer caregivers.
Reframe Cancer, a charity that supports cancer caregivers, conducted a survey of 442 cancer caregivers and found that most were unaware of the rights they have as carers under the Carer’s leave Act which was passed in April of last year.
Carers who balance unpaid care and paid employment have the right to take unpaid leave. Employees are entitled to up to a week’s leave in a 12-month period. A ‘week’ is the average length of work they do over seven days.
Yet, 60% of carers who were surveyed had never heard of the Carer’s Leave Act. Over half (52%) said that their employer did not inform them of their rights under the Act after they became a caregiver.
A similar percentage (52%) reported that they either did not know if any reasonable adjustments were made to their role at work or that they weren’t sure if there had been any. A third of respondents (33%) reported that changes had been implemented.
Over seven out of ten carers (77%) reported that caring for a loved one had affected their job. More than a third of carers (38%) reported that their employer was “very” supportive after they were told about their new role and responsibilities. However, 34% said the same.
The survey found that as many as 15 percent of respondents were “indifferent”, and as many as 7% “were not supportive at all”. Only 50% of respondents said that they received help and support specifically from their HR team while caring for a loved one.
The survey revealed how difficult it can be to balance caring obligations with work. The carers that took part in the study had, on average, been caring for someone with cancer while working for at least one year.
The carers spent an average of 16 hour per week caring for the patients while also working full-time and part-time. Reframe Cancer said that this equated to 69 hours of care per month by carers who also worked.
Care was provided that often went beyond the daily physical, emotional, and medical support.
It could be as simple as helping to clean, bathe and feed, or as complex as coordinating medical appointments, collecting prescriptions and administering them.
Employers were informed and aware that on average, carers had taken 3.5 days off to take care of their loved ones.
The carers who responded to the survey said that they also took three additional days of leave using other forms of pay, like sick pay or holiday allowance.
This meant that cancer caregivers took 6.5 days off work a month to support their loved ones with cancer, before they could take time off for themselves or for sickness. Reframe Cancer estimates that employers could lose up to PS8.5bn in lost hours each year.
The survey then asked carers how much time they took off at various stages of their cancer journey.
Eight days was the most time taken off for treatment, according to the results of the poll. The average number of days off taken before diagnosis was seven, and then 7.5 after diagnosis.
Caring for cancer patients also comes with additional monthly costs. On average, carers spend PS401 per month on parking, transportation, and medical expenses. Men spent PS464 per month, while women averaged PS339.
Mark Stephenson said, “The findings reveal the true depth of daily demands that working adults face when caring for a loved with cancer.
It also shows there is still stigma attached to being a caregiver in the workplace. This leads employees to take time off for reasons they are not able or willing declare.
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