Supporting Working Caregivers

In addition to working full-time, some UWaterloo staff members are among the 6.1 million¹ Canadian workers who are juggling work with being a caregiver to a family member. In addition, it is estimated that 20%² of Canadian professionals are in the “sandwich generation”, caring for aging parents as well as children. While taking care of a parent with dementia, a child with autism, or a partner with depression, for example, working caregivers may not take time to care for themselves. Despite good intentions, it can be difficult for co-workers to know what to say or do to support their colleagues who show signs of caregiver stress or burnout.

In this workshop working caregivers will describe some of the challenges of managing full-time work with full-time caregiving after work. Panelists from Health Services, Human Resources, and the Employee & Family Assistance Program will describe the supports available for working caregivers at UWaterloo. Participants will then discuss ways in which we, as individual co-workers and as a campus community, can support colleagues who struggle to meet the demands of being a working caregiver. The workshop facilitator will summarize participants’ suggestions and provide a list of existing resources for staff at UWaterloo.

Learning Outcomes:

In this workshop participants will

recognize common struggles experienced by working caregivers
discuss ways in which we can support working caregivers at UWaterloo
identify resources to support working caregivers

Key themes:

Wellness
Employee Support

Presenters:

Christine Zaza works in the Centre for Teaching Excellence as a faculty liaison for Applied Health Sciences, Psychology Sociology & Legal Studies, and Academic Support Units. As a working caregiver, she is currently working at reduced hours. Christine is an active parent advocate with “Autism Spectrum Disorder Collaborative” and represents Waterloo Region Family Network on the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) on the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.
Karen Parkinson is an Occupational Health Nurse certified in Canada through the Canadian Nurses Association with 20 years’ experience in employee health and Disability Management. During the nursing shortage crisis of the 90's, Karen worked in the Insurance Industry learning about Disability Insurance and Disability Management. She has worked in Disability Claims and also Vocational Rehab, assisting employees in southwestern Ontario back to work after illness/injury. During the 10 years in Insurance, Karen became interested in Occupational Health Nursing and pursued education and certification during that time. She spent 8 years at Grand River Hospital as an Occupational Health Nurse before coming to Waterloo 2 years ago. She enjoys supporting all employees in a healthy work/life balance because employee health, safety and wellness is the key to a healthy workplace.
Glenda Rutledge is an HR Partner at the University of Waterloo where she is responsible for employee relations for faculty, staff and union employees. She received her Bachelors of Arts from the University of Waterloo in 1996 and her Human Resources Management certificate from Conestoga College and obtained her Certified Human Resource Professional designation in 2005. Glenda brings extensive experience in the financial, insurance and broader public sectors. She has a special interest in disability management, accommodation and employment legislation. She is passionate about creating solutions to resolve employment relation issues which balance employer and employee needs, whenever possible.
Cindy Briner, is the Senior Account Executive at Homewood Health, and much of Cindy's background is in Insurance and Group Benefits, specializing in the wellness arena and particularly focusing on the Employee and Family Assistance Programs. Cindy has a reputation for delivering an exceptional customer service experience and she has strong skills in relationship management, presentation facilitation and reporting analytics. Cindy has been employed with Homewood for 3+ years and prior to that she was a Product Manager at Manulife Financial - Group Benefits, a partner of Homewood, where she developed a strong working relationship from both a functional and a strategic level, for over five years. Her experience working with Homewood in addition to other vendors in the wellness industry has provided her with a solid background and excellent knowledge of the EFAP services. Additionally, Cindy has had a successful career for 18 years working in various management roles in a customer service environment.
Lisa Loiselle is the Associate Director of Research at the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP), in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo. Since 1999, she has been conducting research which focuses on the social critical aspects of Alzheimer Disease and related dementias, with the goal of translating the research results into practical, accessible way in which to educate and support people with dementia, partners in care and professionals working in the field of dementia care. Lisa’s strengths are in qualitative research and program evaluation and her interests include empowering individuals and communities through capacity building and involvement.

Sessions:

April 5, 2017
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
STC 0040

April 6, 2017
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
STC 0040

References:

Paterson, J. October, 2016. How to Support Working Caregivers. BenefitsCanada. Retrieved on December 9, 2016 from http://www.benefitscanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/BECA09_026_Caregivers.pdf.
Grant, T. (Mar. 27, 2013). Life on overload: ‘Sandwich generation’ struggles with burnout. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on December 14, 2016, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/life-on-overload-sandwich-generation-struggles-with-burnout/article10422434/.