Boston College Center for Work & Family

One in five employees globally reports feeling lonely at work. This is not just harmful to employees– it also drives up healthcare costs, absenteeism, and turnover. In their new insightful article, Connie Noonan Hadley (BCCWF fellow and keynote speaker at our upcoming BC Workforce Roundtable Fall Meeting on November 13) and co-author Sarah Wright explore loneliness as an organizational issue and examine some of the myths surrounding loneliness at work. They then go on to propose solutions including: measuring loneliness with a new Work Loneliness Scale, building connection into workflows, and fostering a culture of belonging. Read the article here https://archive.ph/NI0Jq #EmployeeMentalHealth #WorkLoneliness #Wellbeing #OrganizationalHealth #Leadership

I'm glad to see this important issue receiving additional attention. It was a topic in our recent BC Roundtable Community Forum as well as the panel discussion I was part of last month at the MetroWest Conference For Women. Caregiving is a journey with many highs and lows that may span across most of an employees' career. The Sandwich Generation is growing, and per the article, "They are in the critical early-to-middle stages of their careers and three-quarters of them work full or part time." We are working to gain a better understanding of how leading employers are responding to the need for caregiver support through: ▶ Strong Empathy Culture → Cultivating a culture of empathy through visible commitment by leadership and management and ongoing communication can help support employees through the challenges of caregiving. ▶ Flexible Work → Flexible work schedules and remote work options, paid family/caregiver leave, and personal time off can accommodate for employee caregiving responsibilities and help employees manage their time and stress. ▶ Caregiver Support → Emergency back-up care, onsite or subsidized adult day care, care coordination, and caregiving digital tools can help alleviate the burden of caregiving. ▶ Financial Support → Offering financial wellbeing programs can help employees in the sandwich generation navigate unique financial challenges. Programs could offer lessons and workshops on budgeting, saving, investing, how to balance current expenses with long-term savings, estate planning, and college savings plans. ▶ Support Networks → Employee assistance programs with counseling services and support groups can help employees navigate the emotional and mental strain associated with caregiving. Employee Resource Groups can normalize caregiving conversations at work through webinars, speakers, lunchtime get-togethers to help employees problem-solve and share life experiences. Check the comments for a short brief on the Sandwich Generation that we put together at the Boston College Center for Work & Family for additional facts and corporate examples. #worklife #workfamily #sandwichgeneration #caregiving #wellbeing #career #stress #mentalhealth #eldercare #parenting #flexiblework #WSJ Vanessa Fuhrmans Veronica Dagher https://lnkd.in/gP26sn3E

This week, we hosted an engaging panel on Supporting Employees Through Their Menopause Journey. Many thanks to panelists Michelle Travis of USF Law, Nora Lansen, MD of Elektra Health , BC Roundtable Member Jennifer Kelley of FM and Kacy Fleming, M.A. of The Fuschia Tent for sharing their perspectives on ways employers can best support their women through this life transition. Here are a few interesting points that caught our attention: 💡 Impact on Women's Advancement: Professor Michelle Travis shared that 25% of women ages 50-64 said their career development or opportunities had been impacted by unsupported menopause symptoms. This time frame coincides with the average age of new CEOs in the S&P 1500...56.2 years. 💡 Stigma Persists: Most women do not discuss their menopause symptoms at work. Improving awareness and education, and including managers and male allies can help women access support. 💡 Support Can Be Simple: Menopause supports can include cooling rooms or fans, relaxed dress codes, flexible work arrangements, access to menopause health professionals, wellness coaching, hormone replacement therapy coverage and educational resources. 💡 Menopause Support as a Competitive Advantage: While 92% women ages 40-55 said employers should provide menopause-related employee benefits, only 15% do offer specialized menopause benefits. This could be a differentiator for recruiting and retaining talent. We were excited by the positive response to this event, which had nearly 100 participants. This World Menopause Day, we look forward to continuing conversations on women's health and being a voice promoting conversation on this important yet under-discussed issue. See below for a link to the summary we prepared for BC Workforce Roundtable Members as a complement to member benchmarking. #menopause #WorldMenopauseDay #womenshealth #career #wellbeing #womensadvancement #genderequity #leadership #HR #benefits

Last call for our menopause panel today! Make sure you have registered via Zoom to receive your personal login! https://lnkd.in/eybQvD5c

Today is World Mental Health Day — a good time for us as the Boston College Center for Work & Family to amplify the recent calls to action to support caregivers of all types. Nearly three-quarters of employees have some sort of caregiving responsibilities, and more than half say this makes it difficult for them to care for their own mental health. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy reminds us that caregiving “at its best is a team sport”. So, check in on yourself and your colleagues and remember that with the right support caregiving at its best can be a significant and healthy source of joy and purpose.  #worldmentalhealthday #caregiversupports #caregiving

Over 25% of women say menopause has negatively impacted their career progression, contributing to $150 billion in global productivity losses annually. With 1.3 million U.S. women entering menopause each year, organizations must take action. 📅 Join us for a discussion on supporting employees through menopause! This event will feature: • Insights from Professor Michelle Travis, sharing findings from her recent Forbes article, "The Business Case For Supporting Employees Through Menopause." • A panel discussion with Nora Lansen, MD, Kacy Fleming, M.A., and BCCWF Roundtable member Jennifer Kelley on improving well-being and retention for women navigating this phase of life. ✨ Earn PDCs through SHRM and HRCI for attending! 📢 Share this invitation with colleagues in workforce diversity, benefits, employee well-being, and ERG leaders. ⬇️ Register by clicking the link in the comments below. #MenopauseSupport #EmployeeWellbeing #SHRM #HRCI

Did you know 23% of U.S. adults are part of the "sandwich generation," with 65% reporting changes in their employment due to caregiving responsibilities? At our community forum yesterday, our member organizations shared that when it comes to supporting working caregivers, they are most concerned about: 📌 Supporting working caregivers – including men 📌 Family/caregiver leave for eldercare 📌 Concierge care management Check out our latest resource on the Sandwich Generation in the Workplace to learn more. How is your organization supporting working caregivers? #Caregivers #Caregiving #ElderCare #SandwichGeneration

Jennifer Sabatini Fraone enjoyed presenting at last week’s MetroWest Conference For Women. We’re excited to continue the caregiving conversation with our members this Wednesday at a community forum, focusing on elder care and the unique challenges of the sandwich generation. #Caregiving #CaregiverSupport #SandwichGeneration #WorkLife

Thank you to our Boston College Center for Work & Family member Leah Holzwarth, MS for generously sharing her insights on AbbVie's new Well-Being Essentials for People Leaders. A few that stuck with us... 💡 well-being is a key enabler of culture 💡 attending to well-being is already part of every people leader's job, whether they realize it or not 💡 people leaders don't need to have all the answers, but they can learn how to ask the right questions and listen  💡 "make friends every day" with key stakeholders like employee relations and leadership development - it makes for a better program and breaks down silos To learn more about this program, check out our Q&A with Leah linked in the comments below. #workplacewellness #culture #managers

📣 Members, this is your last chance to register for tomorrow’s event! Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from Roundtable member Leah Holzwarth, MS, as she shares insights on AbbVie’s global initiative to educate leaders about the critical role of well-being in shaping company culture, driving high performance, and helping employees thrive. 🎓 Earn SHRM Professional Development Credits for attending this session! #WorkplaceWellbeing #CompanyCulture #EmployeeEngagement