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Like me you are probably passionate about customer satisfaction: it is crucial. But who delivers it? It is our people. And there is a very simple equation – the happier and more involved they are, the better they work and the better our business performs.
All organisations are striving for the innovation, increased productivity and cost-effectiveness that will transform and enhance their performance and this means engaging the creativity and energy of the whole workforce. A workforce that is increasingly diverse and which faces growing outside demands upon it’s time and energy.
Any one of us could become a carer at any time. The circumstances can be happy or distressing, can happen gradually or overnight and can be short or long term. With the UK’s ageing population the majority of the workforce will be at the very age when they are most likely to have caring responsibilities. Today there are nearly 6 million carers in the UK. Nearly half of them also hold down a paid job. The odds are some of them work for you - representing your business, delivering your products and serving your customers. This makes carer support in the workplace essential.
Supporting carers in your workforce isn’t difficult, disruptive or expensive it’s just plain business sense – a small change in working hours or flexible arrangements can make all the difference both to your carer and to your business.
Increased flexibility will help you attract talented people from often overlooked parts of our society, and retain essential skills, increase productivity, cut costs and release the real potential of your organisation. Your organisation can benefit too. I know that mine has.
However, it is not only carers who need support - managers often face tensions and challenges in balancing the needs of the business with those of the carer and other members of the team.
That's where Employers for Carers can help. We came together as employers who believe that supporting carers is good for business. Joining Employers for Carers can help your business identify the needs of carers in the workplace, to outline the business case for their support and to provide practical and sustainable ways in which you can support them.
I hope you will join us as we explore ways to support and engage with the ever growing number of carers in our workforce.
Caroline Waters
Chair, Employers for Carers and Director, People and Policy for BT Group
