Many of our 40 year plus employees are in exactly this position. Their 20-year-olds have not yet moved out and their parents are moving in.
A lot has to do with the economy, which makes it very tough for youngsters to afford housing and to find jobs, and even more tough for pensioners to survive on their savings or government grants.
In addition to this the world has seen an increase in mental illness amongst the elderly with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia becoming more prevalent; and with the lack of affordable frail care facilities in South Africa, we are now faced in the workplace with this new Sandwich Generation.
But what of it? And what should companies be doing to avoid loss of productivity as a result of this?
Well, firstly let’s consider an average 40-year-old in the workplace. Often this person has progressed to a middle management if not senior management level. They sit with a huge amount of intellectual property and experience that is invaluable in decision-making and guiding the organisation in the right direction. Generally they are mentors and teachers to others and they are the guys who need to be planning ahead, not only for their own retirements but also for the organisation’s future, ensuring succession planning is in place.
Now take this same person who is extremely stressed as a result of personal lack of space and relaxation and renewed family responsibilities and suddenly you have a different picture. Add to this the additional financial burden that these responsibilities bring at the time when their savings should be growing exponentially, and you are starting to understand not only the immediate but also the long term implications for productivity.
Managers that are stressed often run around chasing their tails. They remain stagnant. They never get to sit down and plan. They lose sight of the bigger picture and they operate in crisis management all the time. They make rash decisions and in instances of burn-out, they simply give up.
Succession planning is so far down their list of priorities that they cannot begin to implement such measures - transferring skills and mentoring others takes longer than it should so they simply do the job themselves to save some time today. In other words they are constantly in survival mode. And these same extremely competent managers unknowingly hold the organisation hostage as they never get to operate at maximum capacity. The will also not be able to retire at age 60 to 65, as they will simply not have the financial means to do so.
But what can we do about it?
Firstly, recognise that the situation exists. Secondly, implement programmes that develop a people-centric approach. Investigate positive psychology practices in the workplace and allow time to address the “injuries†of this stressed lifestyle in the same way you would allow time for a broken leg.
Organisations that have become proactive are doing Stress and Time Management training, they are creating a work environment that allows for flexi-time, counseling sessions, self-mastery training and family-orientated work days. They are creating support structures for their stressed staff, such as access to counseling and monthly talks on the issues that are relevant such as caring for the aged, setting boundaries for adult children at home and personal financial planning. With a pro-active approach they are finding increased productivity, better skills retention and improved work relations. The point is can they afford not to?
© Debbie Engelbrecht is the CEO of Staff Training, a soft skills training company offering more than 60 soft skills courses, including Stress and Time Management, 3 Day Leadership, and Developing Your Management Potential.