Over the last decade there has been a movement to highlight the significance of inclusion and diversity, as a means for our societies to grow holistically. This means considering all sections of the society, however minor, that may have been under-represented in various fields to have the opportunities that enable and empower them to participate and be heard. For starters, this has meant an emphasis on gender diversity and therefore women at the workplace. One of the biggest reasons that women fall off the workforce is maternity, childrearing and domestic caregiving responsibilities as caregiving continues to be a gendered role. Across the world 60-80% of the primary caregivers in a family are the women.

With increasingly nuclear families, inadequate healthcare and fragmented community systems, the pressures on primary caregivers are ballooning. While legislations and organizations understand the significance of maternity benefits, increasingly organizations will need to look at caregiving as agnostic to gender and life-stage.

Organizations and workplaces have, in the past asserted that individuals keep their professional and personal spaces distinct and separate. However, increasingly progressive and contemporary organizations are realizing that these boundaries are blurring.

Employees are often not comfortable sharing their caregiving roles and responsibilities at the workplace, for the fear of not being understood or not be seen as reliable, committed or ambitious enough.

There is, therefore a need for organizations to become caregiver-friendly and build practices that support caregivers.

• Becoming a Caregiver-friendly organization

• Wellness Fair for those who care

• Workshops for co-workers/ managers of caregivers

• Caregiver Saathi™ facilitated support groups for Caregivers

• Volunteering opportunities for employees