Benefits question...

24 Comments

1. Cecile Marie GirouxDecember 31,2023 at 9:23PM UTC

   I would also like it to include special needs siblings- I am my older brothers caregiver, and full time worker.

2. AnonymousJanuary 1,2024 at 12:15AM UTC

   Aren't those included in FMLA? Just asking. Also, some states allow for a "salary" payment to people who have had to take unpaid leave or quit jobs to care for family members. You can usually find this information on the Department of Health and Family Services website (your state may call it something different), possibly buried in their Medicaid information,

3. AnonymousJanuary 1,2024 at 1:28PM UTC

   You may have to contact the aging commission in your area!

4. AnonymousJanuary 1,2024 at 2:57PM UTC

   I'm going through this now. I think flexibility is the major asset. With that it is more of a discussion of responsibilities and contingency plans for covering the work.

   After speaking with my manager I'm allowed time off/remote time as needed at my discretion. My second and third have increased responsibilities, exposure, and raises.

5. maria roseJanuary 1,2024 at 3:43PM UTC

   The benefits being looked for in this OP post are part of the expansion of the FLMA and that expansion coverage is determined by your specific geographic location at least in the USA. Some states offer more help in terms of a paid compensation which comes from an employee paid fund that comes out of the taxes paid to the state by all employees. Through this program, the caregiver gets a stipend for caring for their elder parent. This care provides a way to keep the elderly home and not have placement in care homes which are a separate issue. Also depending on employer, these benefits may be provided as part of their PTO allowance. It is not a universal standard provision yet.

6. AnonymousJanuary 1,2024 at 7:22PM UTC

   If your company qualifies, FMLA can be used for elder care. Even if it's one or two days a week.

7. AnonymousJanuary 1,2024 at 7:29PM UTC

   FMLA is the only option though as our population ages many companies are adding these types of benefits. Hopefully that becomes the norm vs an exception though the US is notoriously behind in these types of offerings. Let's rally to change that in our respective situations!

8. Elise PilkingtonJanuary 2,2024 at 1:26PM UTC

   Just a reality check...in my area, the time off mentioned is covered by FLMA, which would also apply in the elderly parents care situation. I know of no company that provides free child care. A few businesses have on-site day care, but it is certainly not free.

9. AnonymousJanuary 2,2024 at 1:29PM UTC

   As some said, the federal family medical leave act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks unpaid to care for an immediate family member’s serious medical condition. Your company has to qualify for it (more than 50 people). You will need a doctor to sign off on the application. The leave can be taken all at once or intermittently.

10. AnonymousJanuary 2,2024 at 1:50PM UTC

    Check with your state's medicare/caid, you may qualify to be paid taking care of them. not sure of all of the criteria, but it's worth a look. I have heard that no medical background is required in places.

11. AnonymousJanuary 2,2024 at 4:13PM UTC

    very true. some folks leave their jobs and get paid by the home health agency to "care" for their loved one at home. Happens all the time. I am not certain of how this is set up but it's do-able. Talk to an elder care social worker, or HH agency or Council on Aging.

12. Allison RuffnerJanuary 2,2024 at 2:25PM UTC

    This is something that has always been a big thing for me. We really do not consider the full demands of family, beyond just newborns. I would love to see much more recognition for what is 'family' time.

13. AnonymousJanuary 2,2024 at 3:06PM UTC

    Some companies are starting to offer benefits/assistance for employees taking care of aging parents.

14. Ashley CALABROJanuary 2,2024 at 3:11PM UTC

    FMLA covers your job, but not your pay.

15. Veronika Strnadova-NeeleyJanuary 2,2024 at 4:09PM UTC

    We have some dedicated "family care" hours that we can use to miss work when we need to care for family members, not restricted to new babies. We also have the option to take an unpaid leave to care for a family member. This is in addition to the parental leave benefits.

16. AnonymousJanuary 2,2024 at 4:11PM UTC

    FMLA for aging parents. I've had alot of patients ask for this to attend appts, etc with their aging/ill parent or sibling. I am a primary care provider. However, if you are suggesting that an employer provide "paid" full time leave to care for a parent, I don't think you'll find that. the birth/adoption of a child is a bit different, in that the expectation is that the child will go into daycare/other care at a certain age...whereas the aging/ill parent/sibling/spouse has a situation that is open ended and not expected to improve...hope that makes sense. Sorry you are going thru this. Best of all to you!

17. AnonymousJanuary 2,2024 at 8:43PM UTC

    Yes. Even FMLA leave is unpaid, at least after PTO runs out (if the company allows you to apply PTO to FMLA). The only option for paying for family leave is if the state provides it for people who must take it to care for a family member. That is generally administered through the state social service programs.

18. AnonymousJanuary 2,2024 at 4:46PM UTC

    I’d check your organizations benefit package.
    We get sick, vacation, and personal time and we’re allowed to use our sick and personal to help take of families or ourselves. which at least means there is still income.
    FMLA would cover elderly parents too but often the trade off is your job is protected but for that period of time you may not have any income.

    Ive used FMLA with my previous employer and their company policy required that while I was out I had to use up my PTO hours as that company only had one bank for everything not separate vacation, sick etc.
    I used to to help my parents when my mom had to have back surgery.
    I can’t say that’s the standard of course but that’s what my previous employer did.

19. AnonymousJanuary 2,2024 at 5:29PM UTC

    That's going to be company (and sometimes state) specific. Depending on what's going on, you could very well qualify for FMLA to care for an elderly parent.

    When I was with previous employer, we developed a parental leave policy which morphed into a caregiver leave policy to be more inclusive of our employee base. Look at the best company reports to see what companies are doing.

20. AnonymousJanuary 3,2024 at 1:38PM UTC

    totally agree, I never had children, my choice, so I have never used any benefits associated with children, insurance, company events, etc.

    On the other hand I have dealt with caring for my mother who had Alzheimers and subsequently passed. Now, I am caring for another elderly relative, they never had children and the other nieces and nephews will not step up to the plate. Luckily my work can be done remote so I can take my laptop to her appts, work from home as needed, etc - this keeps me from eating into my vacation time. Not everyone is as lucky as I am, but, I still wish I had something for this situation. Please don't suggest FMLA - while the intent of FMLA is good, the execution is not there especially when it is intermittent time off.

21. BNJanuary 3,2024 at 1:57PM UTC

    It depends on your location. In the states, FMLA can be taken and used intermittently in periods of 15 minutes or more. FMLA is unpaid. For the states that have a paid leave for families, most allow paid leave to be used for a family member with a serious medical condition, which includes parents. NY, as an example allows up to 12 weeks for a family member. https://paidfamilyleave.ny.gov/ You should check your state for this benefit. Generally these benefits are in the blue states first (mainly democrats) CO, MA, CT, CA and the others follow suit when pressured by constituents. If you feel strongly about this benefit, I suggest pushing your local government officials on this.

    Additionally some employers do allow eldercare leave. I've found this mainly to be in the tech industry.

22. LORI-ANN BURLINGAMEJanuary 4,2024 at 2:04AM UTC

    Have you chcked your employee handbok? It is always the best place to check. A lot of colleges have law clinics where you can speak with an attorney for free. There is also your local Legal Aid Society and Bar Association. These organizations will have a better understanding of the law in your state.

23. AnonymousJanuary 5,2024 at 5:26PM UTC

    The latest legislation includes carers in the definition of “disabled” as a protected characteristic so you can ask for reasonable adjustments - it’s still down to the employer really but telling them you’re a carer should allow you to access the emergency (unpaid) leave accessible to parents. Some places are offering up to six days per year for hospital appointments etc. It’s still not much but it’s something!

24. AnonymousJanuary 9,2024 at 2:58PM UTC

    Many companies are implementing Caregiver Leave that runs concurrent with FMLA. As others have recommended, check your Employee Handbook or contact a member of your benefits team.