How industry sectors reliant on shift workers can provide better caregiver support

Businesses that employ shift workers who focus on meeting individuals’ scheduling preferences ensure caregivers feel confident they can tend to their responsibilities outside of work, writes Katrina Holt.

Shift work is often unpredictable and does not follow a traditional nine-to-five schedule. Due to this, many industries can be unaccommodating towards employees with caregiving responsibilities who may struggle to find adequate support while at work.

These challenges disproportionately affect women who take on most caregiving responsibilities. In Australia alone, over 40,000 women face challenges accessing childcare, directly impacting their ability to secure stable employment.

Businesses that employ shift workers who focus on meeting individuals’ scheduling preferences ensure caregivers feel confident they can tend to their responsibilities outside of work.

Providing greater support to employees through flexible shift scheduling, clear return-to-work policies, and employee assistance programs will have positive flow-on effects, including increases in overall work satisfaction and minimisation of burnout.

Offering greater flexibility when scheduling shifts

Regarding part-time work, women make up a significant portion of the workforce (67 per cent). Beyond this, women are three times more likely to capitalise on flexible working arrangements to manage caring responsibilities than their partners. Deputy’s Big Shift Report also found that women make up most of the workforce in shift work industries – accounting for 79 per cent of total shift work hours in healthcare, 56 per cent in retail, and 50 per cent in hospitality.

As women work most shifts and bear most of the caregiving responsibilities, businesses should offer greater flexibility to accommodate tasks like school pick-ups, extracurricular activities, or caring for sick family members.

Providing greater flexibility lets workers know their employer cares about them and wants to support them as best they can. Providing this support will likely have a positive impact on employee loyalty and retention, as well as satisfaction in the workplace.

Deputy found that hospitality workers are the most satisfied in Australia, with 63 per cent feeling amazing. This could be attributed to the flexible and casual nature of the work, which allows workers the freedom to balance caregiving and employment responsibilities.

Establish clear return-to-work policies for new parents

The recent federal budget recognised the importance of paid parental leave as part of a growing focus on creating better work environments. As a result, working parents will now get an extra two weeks of paid parental leave each year until 2026.

As paid parental leave extends, it is important to provide clear return-to-work policies to ensure parents can integrate back into the workplace while balancing caregiving responsibilities. Outlining expectations when returning to work and providing proper support to help get workers back up to speed are ways businesses can better accommodate caregivers.

Clear pathways to workforce re-entry also mean parents can better plan for childcare needs around shift work. This will likely see improved labour participation and result in overall economic productivity as well as the personal career development of returning workers.

Introduce employee assistance programs

Deputy’s The Big Shift Report found that employee assistance programs (EAPs) are one of the top three most sought-after work perks, alongside wellbeing benefits like gyms.

It also found that government employees are the most stressed at work (17 per cent), so emphasis on mental health and wellbeing services is crucial when it comes to addressing pressure points. Prioritising mental wellbeing is important for those workers with additional caregiving responsibilities who may feel increased stress due to conflicting commitments at work and home.

Employers prioritising mental health support by implementing initiatives like EAPs will be better positioned to attract and retain talent in the tight labour market.

By listening to employees’ different needs, businesses will foster more supportive work environments and ultimately increase loyalty and job satisfaction, benefiting both caregivers and their employers for years to come.

Katrina Holt is the chief customer officer at Deputy.