Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to Lead Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition
Coalition to focus on
addressing the needs of caregivers as a talent attract and retention strategy
in Massachusetts
Boston, MA – The
Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that the Executive Office of
Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) will lead the “Massachusetts Caregiver
Coalition,” a public-private partnership of diverse business and worker
advocates with a focus on elevating the needs of family caregivers as a talent
attraction and retention strategy in Massachusetts. Secretary Jones of EOLWD
made the announcement at a panel entitled, People, Caregiving and the
Economy: How the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition brings it all
together.
Today’s announcement
marks a transition for the Coalition, first launched in 2019, to align with and
build on the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s workforce agenda. The mission of
the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition is to support and build creative solutions
that allow family caregivers to continue to thrive in the workplace while also
caring for family at home.
“Family caregivers are
the backbone of our long-term care system, both nationally and in
Massachusetts, and they play a pivotal role in our communities, workforce, and
economy,” said Governor Maura Healey. “It’s vital that government,
business, academia, and labor work together to provide and build supportive
workplaces for our caregivers. Our administration is proud to take a leading
role in the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition to advance this important work.”
“Caring for a loved one
while also working full or part-time can have an impact on the mental,
emotional, and physical well-being of the caregiver,” said Lieutenant
Governor Kim Driscoll. “With this transition, the Massachusetts Caregiver
Coalition will work with many partners to create, promote, and enable a support
system for our family caregivers and reduce their burden to increase
opportunities for our talent to thrive both at work and home.”
In Massachusetts, there are more than one million residents providing care to family, friends, and neighbors and who are critical to the health, safety, and emotional wellbeing of the state and nation. The Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition will promote and share best practices and resources to increase productivity for caregivers at work and home, attract untapped talent managing caregiving responsibilities, and retain existing talent navigating work-life balance in the workplace.
“As caregiving remains a
critical infrastructure to attract and retain a strong workforce, we also have
to acknowledge the many workers across all industries who take on the
responsibility as a family caregiver,” said Secretary Lauren Jones of
Labor and Workforce Development. “The Healey-Driscoll Administration
looks forward to this next chapter of the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition as
we promote best practices and share resources to support existing and future
workers as caregivers in the workplace.”
“Over the past five
years, MassTech has been convening the Caregiver Coalition to promote the needs
of caregivers across our state and highlight the economic impact that
caregiving can have on employers,” said Carolyn Kirk, CEO, MassTech.
“While MassTech will continue to be an active public partner in the Coalition,
having the leadership and reach of EOLWD will further elevate the needs of
caregivers as a talent attraction and retention strategy in the state.”
Caregiving has been a
focus area for the Healey-Driscoll Administration. In the recently
released Massachusetts
Workforce Agenda: Meeting the Moment to Attract, Retain, and Develop a Future
Workforce, the Healey-Driscoll Administration highlighted the
importance of supporting workers, including the cost of caregiving and a
“whole-of-government” approach to caregiving.
In addition to
transitioning leadership of the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition from the
Massachusetts Tech Collaborative to EOLWD, the Administration’s efforts include
cross-secretariat collaboration to ensure affordable, high-quality child care
in Massachusetts, as outlined in an Executive
Order signed by Governor Healey January 2024 and building a
workforce to support both child care and senior care.
The Coalition aims to
partner with, encourage, and challenge Massachusetts employers wherever they
are in their progress of supporting employee caregivers by: Illuminating the
needs of employee caregivers and their economic impact; Identifying, sharing, and
leveraging best practices inclusive of all employer sizes, locations and types
of workforce; Championing employee caregiver policies; and Enabling culture
change for caregivers across all sectors of the economy.
In addition to EOLWD,
other founding members of the Coalition include ARCHANGELS, Care.com, Cigna,
EMD Serono, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), Massachusetts
Business Roundtable, and Careforth (aka Seniorlink).
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