Ohio Employer Law Blog: WIRTW #725: the 'sandwich' edition

It's been a crazy month. We spent last weekend helping my parents unpack and organize their new apartment in the senior living community to which they just moved. In less than two week we move my daughter into college. Meanwhile, I'm also in the midst of taking and defending a dozen depositions in a contentious piece of litigation, while also managing my busy employment law and beer law practices.

I'm a card-carrying member of the sandwich generation.

The "sandwich generation" refers to individuals who are simultaneously caring for their aging parents while supporting their own children. We are "sandwiched" between the older and younger generations, often facing significant emotional, financial, and physical demands as we manage the dual responsibilities of caregiving and parenting. The term highlights the unique pressures and challenges we experience as we strive to balance family, personal, and work needs.

Employers, you have employees who join me in the sandwich generation. The question is what are you doing to support them? Here are five suggestions.

1. Flexible Work Schedules: Allow employees to adjust their work hours or work remotely to accommodate caregiving responsibilities.

2. Paid Family Leave: Offer paid leave for employees to care for sick or aging family members.

3. Employee Assistance Programs: Provide access to counseling, support groups, and resources for managing stress and caregiving challenges.

4. Caregiver Support Resources: Offer information and resources on eldercare services, childcare options, and caregiving best practices.

5. Work-Life Balance Initiatives: Promote a culture that values work-life balance and encourages employees to take time for themselves and their families.

By implementing these strategies, employers can help alleviate some of the pressures faced by employees in the sandwich generation, leading to improved job satisfaction, productivity, and overall well-being. It will also you from losing quality employees who will seek more supportive workplaces.

Here's what I read this week that you should read, too.

Barely Legal: Prominent Labor Attorney Jon Hyman on Managing Risk in the Age of AI — via The AIX Factor Podcast

Gen AI Is Coming for Remote Workers First — via Harvard Business Review

If You Re-Started Your Workplace with Five Privileges of Employment, How Would You Break Down Barriers for Colleagues with Disabilities? — via Jeff Nowak's FMLA Insights

SHRM's DEI Shake Up: Equity Out, Civility In? — via EntertainHR

Remote Work is Here to Stay (Mostly) — via Dan Schwartz's Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Every Company Should Copy This Aspect of Kamala Harris's Job Postings — via Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas

Gadzooks! This is one of the largest wage and hour judgments ever! — via Eric Meyer's The Employer Handbook Blog

Blaze Pizza franchisee slapped with $277K child labor fine — via HR Dive

Kaspersky Is an Unacceptable Risk Threatening the Nation's Cyber Defense — via Dark Reading

Senior Attorney Harasses Associates with Nudes, Nazi Definitions — via Above the Law

Deleting an Instagram Post Was Evidence-Tampering — via Technology & Marketing Law Blog