Carer Positive and Covid-19

Apr 3, 2020

With the onset of coronavirus in Scotland, employers have had to make sudden changes to how their businesses operate over the last few weeks. New policies and procedures have been quickly put in place for both keyworkers and staff who have unexpectedly found themselves working from home.

People concerned about the symptoms will have taken time off to self-isolate, while many other workplaces have had to close and place their staff in furlough, resulting in employees feeling worried about their jobs and earning enough to pay household bills while they are stuck in the house.

The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly caused extra concern for people who are carers, particularly if those that they care for are at greater risk of the virus. The goal of Carer Positive is for employers throughout Scotland to support employees with caring responsibilities via their workplace and we feel that now is a vital time for employers to continue to show this support.

 

How can employers help staff members with caring responsibilities during Covid-19?

Stay in contact.
Make contact with all of your employees regularly, making sure they stay up to date with news or changes happening as a result of the pandemic.

 

Be approachable.
Maintain a strong message that you are happy to chat to your employees and address concerns that they may have.

 

Go online.
If you have a carers group in your workplace, make sure that they can remain connected. There are many ways such as setting up groups on Yammer, Slack, Teams or WhatsApp, so take a moment to consider what would be most suitable and appropriate for your organisation and don’t forget to promote the group to all employees.

 

Signpost to help.
Although you might feel limited as to what you can personally do as an employer during Covid-19, an easy way for you to to support carers amongst your staff is to signpost them towards other organisations and advice that can help. Here are a few resources to share on your employee network:

Carers UK Coronavirus Guidance

Carers UK Coronavirus Further Support

Carers UK Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing

Carers Scotland Local Help and Advice

 

Get in touch.
If you have specific queries or concerns about supporting carers in your workplace during Covid-19, you can contact us by emailing info@carerpositive.org and we will be able to advise you on your situation.

 

Can I still apply for a Carer Positive Award during Covid-19?

Absolutely! The Carer Positive team are working from home and are still able to offer advice and resources to help you create a Carer Positive workplace – both now and after the pandemic. We are still able to process your Carer Positive Award applications too, just visit our website for information and to download resources and application forms – www.carerpositive.org.

 

Unfortunately we are unable to present any awards in person right now, however we can send your certificate out to you or arrange a proper presentation when things return to normal. As usual we will continue to promote Carer Positive awards on our social media and blog.