SANDWICH GENERATION

Karin Derry, vice president of human resources at Easter Seals Iowa, has witnessed a subtle shift in employees’ requests for time off to care for sick relatives.

“It seems like we always used to see concern about time off to take care of children, but we’re beginning to see the same concern over parents.” She said. “I think it’s becoming more of an issue in the workplace.”

Today’s workforce contains a growing “sandwich generation,” said Sue Allyn, vice president of human resources at Central Iowa Health System. The sandwich generation consists of Baby Boomers caught between caring for their children and assisting aging parents. “The Boomers were anticipating that their children would go to college and life would be good,” she said. “Now [they’re remodeling] and their parents are moving in.”

Deniz Franke epitomizes the sandwich generation. For years, she took care of her children and parents while establishing her business, Deniz Franke and Associates, a branch of American Express Financial Advisors. Franke is branch manager and a registered principal.

“My experience is a little different,” said Franke, who was born in Istanbul, Turkey. “When I moved [to the United States] in 1980 with my parents, I had very little English, but they had none. Since then, they have learned a little bit.”

Because her parents were attempting to learn English late in life, it was more difficult for them, Franke said. They have become fluent enough in English to get by at the grocery store, but not at the auto mechanic’s shop.

“They can take care of most day-to-day operations, but I have to help with bigger things like visits to the dentist to doctor,” Franke said.

As her parents age, the amount of medical attention they need increases. “It creates more pressure,” she said.

As businesses have become aware of the mounting pressures their workers face, they have been finding new ways to ease the tension. In 1993, the Family Medical Leave Act was enacted, ensuring a job-protected leave for workers with a serious illness, whether their own or that of a family member. Human resource managers say the act has made workers feel more secure in taking off the time they need.

“Some folks have had to take unpaid family and medical leave,” said Becky Stadlman, president of the Central Iowa chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management and director of human resources at CIGNA HealthCare. “But what I’ve seen are more PTO, or paid time off, programs where a pool of time can be used for vacation, sick leave, child care or elder care. A lot of employers provide 800-numbers for counselors to help with the stress or to discuss options for long-term care.”

Other options, according to Allyn, include assistance centers, which educate, prepare and support workers assisting elderly parents, and adult day-care programs, which can often be paid for using flexible benefit account funds.

“From an employer’s perspective, it’s about flexibility and understanding that your employees will be more productive if they’re given the time they need to take care of personal things in their lives,” Derry said.

Franke has some advice for people going through a situation similar to hers: Don’t be afraid to ask for help from other family members and professionals. Talk to your parents about issues such as their finances, insurance, power of attorney and what measures they want taken in the event of a medical emergency.

“I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had contact from the children [regarding their parents’ financial status] after the fact,” she said. “People will tell me more than they will their own kids. Families need to discuss what they will do in the worst-case scenario. These are things we don’t want to discuss with our parents, and they don’t want to talk about, but it’s important.”

Most important, Franke reminds others to stay positive.

“I never thought about quitting, or thinking negatively, ‘I can’t do this,'” Franke said. “I just had to find the best way to do it all. There is always a solution to the problem. Even if it’s the worst-case scenario, you have to think, ‘How do I look at this in the best way?'”