How to reconcile the role of caregiver and professional life? – In the news

2024-10-04 14:11:02

October 4, 2024

In France, 1 in 6 employees is a caregiver. National Carers’ Day will be held on October 6, 2024. The opportunity to look at the millions of caregivers who are in the workforce, and try to juggle work and caring for a loved one. For them, it is often a double punishment.

« I am finding it more and more difficult to reconcile my role as caregiver and my working hours. “. Many of them do this big gap, at the risk of losing their health and their jobs.

61% of caregivers are in the workforce, out of the 8.8 million adult caregivers in France. This assistance may take the form of assistance with daily living activities, moral support and/or financial support.

The profile of the helping employee

According to the 2023 Observatory on helping employees, the average age of the latter is 42 years. Among helping employees in the private sector, the average age of starting assistance is even 35 years old! On average, these employees devote between 9 and 11 hours per week to their caring role.

Not too surprisingly, 82% of them say they lack time, and 51% have already given up on seeing a doctor even though they needed to. In 86% of cases, the care recipient is a family member. The latter is in a situation of loss of autonomy linked to old age (46%), chronic or disabling illness (24%), or disability (20%).

Inform your employer or not?

44% of caring employees feel they could lose their job and only 25% have informed their employer of their situation. They fear being stigmatized, perceived as people less committed to their work, or that files will be withdrawn from them, fearing a lack of reliability. However, several arguments encourage us to open up to the employer: benefit from ad hoc legal measures, not find yourself isolated, especially when you are no longer able to carry out your part of the work…

What are my rights as a helping employee?

In France, several legal systems exist to help employees reconcile their professional life and their role as caregiver. Although insufficient and too little used, “ these devices already constitute an important resource », underlines Julia Peyre, lawyer specializing in labor law and expert on issues linked to assistance in the business world (Squair law firm, Bordeaux).

The first concerns specific leave. “Carer leave” is compensated by the caregiver’s daily allowance (AJPA). « It allows employees to take days off to care for a dependent loved oneshe specifies. He is now compensated by organizations such as the Caisse d’Allocations Familiales up to the minimum wage (€64.54 per day in 2024), with a limit of 66 days of compensation during the employee’s professional career. “Parental presence leave” is intended for parents of seriously ill or disabled children. Finally, “family solidarity leave” is provided to support a loved one at the end of life. »

Then, working time adjustments may be requested by employees. For example, a helping employee may request a shift from night work to daytime hours. “ “Individualized schedules” also exist and allow you to maintain the same working hours while having the flexibility to organize your schedule, for example by arriving earlier and leaving earlier.explains Maître Peyre. Finally, the “donation of rest days” between colleagues allows employees to show solidarity. Not obligatory, some companies apply it successfully, and sustainably over time, on the precondition of ensuring adequate awareness and information within the company. »

Finally, the other legal possibilities fall under the conventional agreement, established between the parties or implemented unilaterally by the company (extended leave, maintenance of salary during these periods, etc.).

What about independents?

Public sector employees are also affected by the measures mentioned above – with certain specificities – as well as self-employed workers. “ The latter are entitled, like others, to compensation (daily caregiver allowance) in the event of cessation or reduction of their professional activity to care for a loved one. adds the lawyer, who nevertheless recognizes that “ resuming their activity can be difficult, particularly due to the loss of contacts, sponsors and/or income, because the compensation is often largely insufficient to compensate for the costs they continue to assume during their absence. »

Source: Interview with lawyer Julia Peyre; INSEE; OCIRP/VIAVOICE 2023 Barometer “Caring employees: cost or wealth for the company? » ; DREES • Studies and Results • February 2023 • No. 1255 • 9.3 million people say they provide regular help to a loved one with a disability or loss of autonomy in 2021

Written by: Hélène Joubert – Edited by Emmanuel Ducreuzet

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