Roche sign up to caring for the carers programme

ROCHE Ireland has signed up to a programme with Family Carers Ireland (FCI) to ensure that members of its team, who are also in caring roles at home, are supported and accommodated in their professional career.

The healthcare solutions provider, which has almost 150 employees in Ireland, including staff at a Roche Product’s office in Citywest, has worked with FCI to develop a Caring Employers Programme, adapting its policies to account for the needs of family carers working for the company.

Examples include webinars on rights and entitlements, available grants and practical training – all with a career-centric focus on the wellbeing of those juggling their jobs with a caring role at home.

Carole Shaw, HR Business Partner and Wellbeing Lead, Roche Ireland, said: “At Roche, employee welfare is a core pillar of our objectives. We would not be the company we are today without the commitment and dedication of our people. In turn, we make sure that we allow our employees the space they need to meet family obligations while pursuing personal and professional development.

“The programme is another facet of this approach and we are delighted to partner with FCI to ensure that those in our company who are family carers – whether they are aware of it or not – are safe in the knowledge that all aspects of their lives are taken care of.”

Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy, Family Carers Ireland, said: “We want to support family carers and ensure, where possible, that they retain their jobs, so that they avoid isolation and the dangers of falling off a financial cliff by having to give up work.

“Furthermore, research demonstrates that family carers who work outside the home are generally happier, healthier and more secure financially than those who do not have outside employment. Over time however, the cumulative effect of being a ‘working carer’ places increasing stress on the employee.”

It is estimated that there are 500,000 family carers in Ireland.

Over 50 per cent of family carers combine paid work with care in the home, equating to over 280,000 workers or approximately 12 per cent of the working population.