Special needs in the workplace is not a new subject, in fact, the NLRB takes special needs in the workplace very seriously. The NLRB ensures that employers are meeting the needs of employees with disabilities, but unfortunately, are not always there to monitor employer behaviors and how they meet the need of employees with special needs. The NLRB have provided rules and regulations for employers and even though some employers do not follow these guidelines other employers are going above and beyond to help their employees and their families that have special needs.
Some employers recognize employees as superheroes, especially, employees who are balancing work-life with a special needs family member – a family member that requires a lot of medical attention and hands-on care. Balancing work-life is hard for employees, let alone one with a special needs family member.
But, sometimes an employee has to choose which is more important – their job that pays for necessary medical bills or a family member that, literally, depends on them. Is this fair?
Imagine your best employee – the employee that holds it all together, the employee that is the most productive, the employee that meets all deadlines, the employee that has the best performance reviews, the employee that you would not and could not replace – has balanced their work-life so well that you didn’t even realize they even had a special needs family member, but then out of nowhere, they need extra time off or leaving early for appointments. How is this even possible? How is your best employee turning into the worst?
Good employees are hard to find and special needs aren’t going anywhere, so employers are helping employees with special needs family members to lessen the stress:
- Flexible hours
- Support groups
- Stress management classes
- Some employers are actually paying all or a portion of in-home care for employees who have family members with special needs.
Employees are assets to your workplace. These are just a few ways to show how much they mean to you.
Are you an employer that has programs for employees who have family members with special needs?