Identifying the needs of workplace carers

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 03 RD, 2015 

Secretary of State Nicky Morgan on support for workplace carers

With the industry constantly talking about skills shortages and attracting the right talent, one overlooked area that can have a real impact on retaining staff is unearthing the needs of often hidden workplace carers, as Stuart Chapman, HR director at Finning explains:

“Since 2014 we have been working with The Dove Service, a local Staffordshire based employee care organisation that has been helping us discover and support members of staff who are working carers. Employees often find themselves caring for both older relatives and children; juggling work and caring can be enormously stressful. Too many carers find it difficult to balance their important caring roles with their work commitments.

“We are making steps forward to understand our employees’ needs and signposting them to specialist support, enabling us to retain talented staff and allowing them to continue working in the job role they have chosen.

“A number of our employees have already greatly benefitted from the training and counselling support offered by The Dove Service and thanks to £200,000 of additional government funding, this work will continue and expand. With findings shared with the wider pilot scheme, ultimately we hope our work with The Dove Service will help to make a difference to how workplace carers are supported across the UK.

“Our commitment to our employees’ safety, health and wellbeing is always at the forefront of our minds and any areas that we can support them with, is always welcome at Finning.”