Chances are there are many caregivers on your team: parents of young children, colleagues caring for elderly family members, and those supporting a sick or disabled child, sibling, or spouse. Effectively managing these employees starts with addressing your blindspots and assumptions about them. Here are some common myths you need to be aware of.

* Myth #1: School and childcare are back to normal.Employees who rely on daycare and schools to do their jobs continue to face constant, unpredictable scheduling conflicts. Evaluate flexibility and hybrid policies with this in mind, and if your organization provides backup care services to ease ongoing stressors, make sure your employees know how to access them.

* Myth #2: Employees who need flexible work arrangements are less interested in advancement. Flexible work is an essential resource for employees with caregiving responsibilities. Beware proximity bias, which could lead you to favor in-person employees over those working remotely.

* Myth #3: People aren’t talking about it, so it must not be an issue. Many people aren’t comfortable sharing about their caregiving responsibilities in the workplace because they’re worried about being penalized professionally. To foster transparency around caregiving, acknowledge it yourself. When people feel comfortable sharing their challenges juggling work and caregiving, you’ll be able to create policies that better support them.
This tip is adapted from “5 Things Employers Get Wrong About Caregivers at Work,” by Katherine Goldstein
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