Employee Assistance
Family and Medical Leave Act
Stress Management
UPMC Senior Care Resources Sessions

When the need for caregiving presents itself, finances become an increasing concern along with balancing caregiving and work to avoid reductions in pay or loss of possible advancement.

Caring for a loved one, especially for a spouse or parent with chronic and/or debilitating disease, often presents needs that conflict with the ability to work. Providing for basic transportation, accompanying the person to doctors’ appointments, administering care, and meeting specific health care regimens often result in the need for caregivers to take time off from work, sometimes without pay. And if caregivers do not manage their stress well, they are likely to get sick themselves, resulting in additional time off work.

In recognition of the reduced productivity, increased likelihood for absence from work, and physical and emotional health problems experienced by employees who serves as a caregivers, the government and many employers have begun to offer assistance for caregivers who work.

Employee Assistance

Recognizing the demand that the growing aging population places on employees, an increasing number of employers provide policies and programs to support families and caregivers. Policies include such benefits as:

• paid sick leave to care for a parent (usually limited in the total number of days allowed)
• unpaid leave for up to 12 weeks/year through the Family and Medical Leave Act
• flex-time policies (allowing negotiation in the times of starting and finishing work or allowing increases in hours worked to reduce the number of days worked)
• options to work from the home
• job sharing (splitting a full-time job between two individuals to allow more time off but provide full-time coverage of the job)
• leave sharing (allowing coworkers to donate time off for their colleagues use)
• shift exchanging (allowing employees to exchange shifts)
• funeral leave
• bereavement leave
• employee assistance programs (free, confidential counseling and assistance with personal and professional matters that may interfere with job performance or personal satisfaction)

Ask your employer to inform you of policies or benefits that might be of assistance to you.

Family and Medical Leave Act

The Family and Medical Leave Act allows employees to take unpaid leave from their jobs for up to 12 weeks within a 12-month period for a specified family or medical reason without the threat of losing their jobs.

Family and Medical Leave Act Fact Sheet
Published by the U.S. Department of Labor

Guide to the Family and Medical Leave Act
Published by the National Partnership for Women and Families

For additional information:
U.S. Department of Labor

Stress Management
As families and caregivers assume tremendous responsibility and encounter a wide range of challenges in providing care for a loved one, it is important for them to effectively manage their stress to prevent decline of their own health. Often caregivers focus on the health and well-being of their loved one but neglect their own physical and emotional health needs. To help manage stress, the Institute on Aging suggests the following resources:

Caregiver Health
Published by the American Medical Association

Symptoms of Alzheimer's
Published by the Alzheimer’s Association

Stress - Coping With Everyday Problems
Published by the National Mental Health Association

Managing Stress
Published by AARP

Coping with Stress (pdf file)
Published by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)

Accessing Assistance with Stress Management
Contact us for assistance with managing your stress, or e-mail us your questions.

Many of our documents are available in PDF format. To read PDF files, Adobe Acrobat Reader® software must be installed on your computer. Download Acrobat Reader (free version).