Companies are now recognising the challenges faced by the “Sandwich Generation,” who juggle caring for elderly parents and young children, and are implementing personalised HR policies, including support for caregiving needs, to address the diverse needs of their employees.
HR experts say India Inc the focus on Gen S has gained much importance recently, and particularly pronounced after Covid-19 as organisations delved into evolving employee needs and discovered the diversity within, in terms of parenthood, marital status, and caretaking status.
Companies in India are increasingly recognising the hardships faced by the “Sandwich Generation”, or Gen S, and are reaching out with personalised human resources policies to support the ever-increasing needs of their employees.
Gen S refers to people walking the tightrope of taking care of their elderly parents along with young children, usually people in their 40s-50s. They face significant challenges to meet their financial goals, professional aspirations and mental peace.
Now, major firms like Publicis Sapient India, DBS Bank India, and Godrej Capital, among others have stepped up efforts for this generation. Organisations are providing options for personalised insurance policies which also include their employees’ in-laws and in some cases, pets too.
Furthermore, many companies are allowing their employees to travel with their children for business events outside their hometown or working location.
Recent CMIE data shows that the share of people in the workforce over 40 years of age has increased to 60 percent by December 2020 and companies have noticed an uptick in employees from these groups demanding support.
“Today, India has an extremely woke and diverse workforce that does not hesitate from voicing their needs and issues. On the other side, India Inc is a healthy mix of large Indian conglomerates, MNCs, and emerging organisations or start-ups. With remote working, phygital and physical — all three ways of working being prevalent, there is a huge sharing and transfer of best practices across different geographies and business entities,” said Sonica Aron, Managing Partner and Founder of HR consultancy firm Marching Sheep.
Flexible spending wallet and insurance for in-laws
DBS Bank in India provides its employees with a flexible spending wallet for wellness, allowing them more control over their benefits through the ‘iFlex’ policy. This personalised fund empowers them to allocate money according to their individual needs and preferences, whether for family expenses, health and wellness, financial planning, or even work-from-home essentials.
“The impact of iFlex has been remarkable, with a 2.5X increase in iFlex entitlement or claims since January 2023. Additionally, during the first quarter of 2023, about 21 percent of employees utilised the OPD coverage, further underlining the importance of this initiative in their health and well-being,” said Benaifer Palsetia, Executive Director and Head of Human Resources Relationship Management & COO, DBS Bank India.
Taking a step further, Publicis Sapient India’s insurance policy covers extended family, including in-laws and live-in partners, and diverse treatments, easing medical expenses. It also reimburses medical and educational expenses for its employees raising children with autism, to support them as they care for their child’s needs.
Focusing on the work model, the company also allows employees of ‘Sandwich Generation’ to set their hours for caregiving needs caregivers under its ‘Flexwork’ policy driven by the caregiver Business Resource Group (BRG).
“These policies were carefully crafted over time using a ‘pilot-experiment-scale’ model, which helps us learn and adapt quickly,” said Anjali Sinha, Co-chief Talent Officer of Publicis Sapient India.
Travel with children
HR experts say India Inc the focus on Gen S has gained much importance recently, and particularly pronounced after Covid-19 as organisations delved into evolving employee needs and discovered the diversity within, in terms of parenthood, marital status, and caretaking status.
The policies are not just limited to insurance or working models. Companies are also exploring avenues of ensuring the mental well-being of their employees when they dread staying away from their children during office travel.
Godrej Capital’s caregiver policy allows parents to travel with their children for all work-related outstation events and meetings.
In addition, the firm regularly conducts surveys and based on the feedback received, it will modify and enhance existing initiatives accordingly. This includes exploring the possibility of expanding the ‘Mobility Support’ program to provide additional assistance for employees relocating with their elderly parents.
“Moreover, we will continually assess and refine our hybrid work model to ensure it remains flexible and supportive for employees managing caregiving responsibilities,” said Ruhie Pande, CHRO at Godrej Capital.