Your working parents need support and guidance amid tough times

Long story short: Your working parents need support and guidance amid tough times

June 17, 2022 11:31 AM

Working parents have their hands full. How can employers ease their burdens so they can be their best selves at work and at home?

In this week’s top stories, navigating healthcare continues to be a huge challenge for families — especially when someone needs support in the wake of a cancer diagnosis. Allison Mertzman, a social media influencer and stay at home mom, was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer last September. Mertzman estimates her family spent nearly $20,000 in the first two months of 2022 alone, and her wife has been left to navigate complex leave policies and programs. On top of that, they were caring for their two young daughters.

“People don't understand what a diagnosis like that does to a family,” says Mertzman. While Mertzman’s wife was able to get paid leave from her employer, she shares how challenging it’s been to navigate the complexities of cancer with her family responsibilities.

For families who turn to the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace, a “family glitch” may make that insurance just the opposite. As long as an employer offers an employee-only plan that meets the income requirements and is deemed affordable for the individual, the IRS will not consider that employee or their family as in need of ACA help. See what this means for your healthcare options.

And ahead of Father’s Day, Maven’s SVP of people, Karsten Vagner, shares why it’s so important for working dads to take their parental leave. Maven offers all parents 16 weeks, and requires them to take it. Here’s why other employers need to follow suit.

This mom had to take a step away from caregiving to fight cancer. Here’s how she did it

Allison Mertzman always knew wanted to be a mom, and even studied elementary and childhood education in college, recalling the joy she found in working with kids. Giving up those responsibilities in the wake of a cancer diagnosis — even though it meant caring for herself — took a toll.

“It was very hard because I'm not used to asking for help or asking for things that I needed,” she says. “Chemotherapy taught me how to ask for help — it was one of the toughest things that I’ve had to do.” Mertzman shared how she and her wife are getting through this challenging time, with associate editor Deanna Cuadra.

Read:

This mom had to take a step away from caregiving to fight cancer. Here’s how she did it

Should you require your working dads to take paternity leave? Maven’s SVP of people says yes

While the pandemic has disproportionately impacted working women and mothers, their partners are in need of support, too, says Karsten Vagner, SVP of people at Maven, a family benefits provider. One way for both moms and dads to take care of both themselves and their families is to take their full parental leave — at Maven, all parents are required to take leave, and Vagner shares why this benefits all parents and caregivers, and the business, too.

“We know that if things are good at home, things can be good at work,” he says. “So it's actually in my best interest as the head of people to make sure that none of my employees are up at night stressing about how they will take care of their kid. We can take care of that and we should.”

Read more:

Should you require your working dads to take paternity leave? Maven’s SVP of people says yes

How the “family glitch” in the Affordable Care Act is making healthcare unaffordable

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 5.1 million people are impacted by the Affordable Care Act’s “family glitch,” which does not allow workers with families to qualify for affordable health insurance plans within the ACA Marketplace, even if their employer doesn’t provide an affordable alternative.

“Employers need to be talking with their broker or consultants, and have a mechanism where they can inform employees on how to evaluate what their new opportunities might be so that their families are taken care of,” John Staub, a brand development manager at benefits management platform Remodel Health, tells associate editor Deanna Cuadra. “Their family might be able to get better coverage on the [ACA] Marketplace, but they need help navigating it.”

Read:

How the “family glitch” in the Affordable Care Act is making healthcare unaffordable

Are you offering the right type of benefits to your caregiver employees?

Caregiving has become a universal reality — not only for the individual, but also for corporate America, writes contributor Lisa Rill, the executive director of Senior Life Source. To prevent caregiving employees from leaving, employers need to step it up when it comes to their benefits. Things like referral services for caregivers, subsidies for elder care services, and other supportive benefits are investments that will keep your caregivers with your company for the long-term. Rill dives into the benefits caregiving employees want the most, and how they can set your business apart amid the Great Resignation.

Read:

Are you offering the right type of benefits to your caregiver employees