Human Resources Review
Topic: Eldercare
An article in the October 2007 issue of People Management stated that “Eldercare is predicted to replace childcare as the major work-life issue by 2020” (Oates, 2007) and pointed to the changing demographics of the UK population as the root cause of this issue. While childcare has become a common term referring to the care of an infant, eldercare is not as common, and refers to the care of certain adults, usually the elderly.
In addition to this bold statement new legislation has come in to force on the 6th April 2007, related to the Work and Families Act 2006, which has amended the Flexible Working Time Regulation of 2002. While since 2003 working parents of children under the age of six or disabled children under the age of eighteen have had the right to apply to their employer to work more flexibly, this new legislation gives carers of certain adults, with 26 weeks service, the right to request flexible working also.
It is therefore pertinent to explore this claim made my Andrea Oates (2007) further. In order to do this we must first consider further data relating to this issue within per una Group Ltd in the past financial year (2007-2008), and consider the current policies that have been used to manage such situations. Secondly, it is important to look to the future and consider demographic projections, both in relation to per una Group Ltd and the wider labour market. Following this analysis it is important to understand whether there is a Business Case that would support the introduction of an “Eldercare Policy” and to evaluate the organisation’s current preparedness. To evaluate this business case a review of current literature will be undertaken that will consider the eldercare issue in more d ...