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Insurance company Guardian Life recently found that 77% of caregivers report having poor mental health, with 40% saying
"ERGs serve the purpose of creating solidarity and a shared space around common themes and challenges," says Priya Krishnan, chief digital and transformation officer at Bright Horizons. "If you're looking for equity in the workforce, getting perspectives from these groups is critical."
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For Krishnan, ERGs serve as listening forums where employees can directly share their needs with company leaders, as well as communicate available resources to their peers. She points out that employees are far more likely to utilize their benefits if they know their colleagues are using them, and they are also more likely to be vocal about their needs if they're not alone.
"The biggest opportunity with an ERG is to get a sense of what is happening within an employee base with a common set of needs," says Krishnan. "Having a support network for families is key."
Creating healthy workplace cultures
Guardian Life, which has its own caregiver ERG called CARE, can vouch for just how much these listening forums can help businesses evolve. Gene Lanzoni, head of enterprise content and co-lead of the ERG, knows firsthand how isolating and stressful caregiving can be and views these support groups as essential to creating a healthy workplace culture.
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"At one point in my life, I had young children, elderly parents and a wife going through cancer," says Lanzoni. "And so many of us who are involved in the CARE ERG have stories of previous managers who made us feel talking about caregiving responsibilities was not acceptable. It makes for a very difficult work environment, and it makes it very difficult for people to remain in the workforce."
Lanzoni underlines that beyond serving as a sounding board, ERGs normalize the experiences of those who often feel marginalized in the professional sphere. He notes that by bringing people together who know what it's like to be late because their kid wasn't feeling well or what it's like to need to leave work early to bring their elderly mom to the doctor, companies can encourage their workers to develop a safer, more inclusive work environment that respects their needs.
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Leadership buy-in is also crucial to an ERG's success — if employees' voices fall on deaf ears, then the company would only be cultivating distrust and frustration. Krishnan and Lanzoni agree that employers have to make it clear they're listening even if they can't deliver changes right away. This may mean reminding employees of existing benefits or ensuring managers highlight the company's PTO and flexibility policies. Most importantly, caregivers should feel heard and accounted for in big company decisions, like return-to-office mandates, says Lanzoni.
"The most rewarding thing about my involvement with the CARE ERG is getting to hear feedback from members of our care community and that they really feel as though Guardian is listening to them," he says. "If you can't talk about what your challenges are as a caregiver with your colleagues at work, that's a missed opportunity to bond and create a sense of community."
