Carer and disability inclusion
Carers at work
Retention of working carers is an operational question for employers, and most policies are built for the wrong shape of problem.
The position
I am a carer as well as an executive, and I work on disability inclusion and carer support in the workplace alongside my energy work.
Organisations usually argue this on culture. The operational argument is stronger. Working carers are disproportionately mid-career and senior, which is the population most expensive to replace and hardest to rehire. When they leave, the loss shows up in delivery capability months before it shows up in an engagement survey.
Where organisations get it wrong
- Policies written for a short crisis, when caring responsibility is usually years long and unpredictable in shape.
- Flexibility granted informally by a good line manager, which evaporates the moment that manager changes.
- No route to disclose that avoids flagging yourself as a retention risk.
- Leave entitlements that assume the carer is the one who is unwell.
- Senior populations where nobody visible is a carer, so nobody junior believes it is survivable.
What I contribute
I take part in conversations with employers, HR leaders, media and policymakers on carer inclusion and disability in the workplace. The practical end is where I am most useful: what a policy has to contain to survive a manager change, and what senior visibility does to disclosure rates.
If you are shaping policy or culture in this area, or you are a carer working out how to hold a senior role alongside it, I am glad to talk.