Massachusetts Caregivers Coalition Holds 1st Annual Employer Breakfast
BOSTON – Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones and the Massachusetts Caregivers Coalition recently hosted an employer breakfast focused on strengthening caregiver supports for employees and employers. The breakfast, which attracted over 100 registered attendees, was held at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Innovation Center and featured a panel geared to employers and workforce partners.
Attendees listen to a panel called “From Policy to Practices – Strengthen Caregiving Supports” featuring Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones, Acting Secretary of Elder Affairs Robin Lipson, President Chrissy Lynch of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, and jill McNamara of Care.com, moderated by JD Chesloff of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable.
The Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition is a public-private partnership of diverse business, non-profit, and worker advocates under the auspices of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development that focuses on elevating the needs of family caregivers as a talent attraction and retention strategy. Family caregivers represent a sizable population of the workforce across Massachusetts. This event was an opportunity to expand the conversation around substantive change in support of working caregivers. The Massachusetts Caregivers Coalition builds on the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s workforce agenda to attract, retain, and develop diverse talent in Massachusetts.
“The Healey-Driscoll administration understands that many workers across the state are responsible for providing care to a family member and to better attract and retain a strong workforce, we must build the critical infrastructure needed to provide supports for those workers,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “Today’s breakfast was a great opportunity to speak directly to and provide vital resources for our employer partners. I look forward to continuing this collaboration as we grow a stronger, more competitive, and equitable workforce in regions and industries across Massachusetts.”
Undersecretary Josh Cutler kicked off the breakfast with opening remarks, followed by Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Sarah Iselin, and a presentation from co-founder and CEO of ARCHANGELS Alexandra Drane. The breakfast also featured a panel discussion, entitled From Policy to Practice – Strengthening Caregiving Supports, including Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones, Acting Secretary of Elder Affairs Robin Lipson, President Chrissy Lynch of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, and Jill McNamara of Care.com.
Co-founder and CEO of ARCHANGLES Alexandra Drane gives a presentation about family caregiving caregiver intensity score. [Nicolas Ruggiero, Director of Digital Communications, EOLWD]
Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Sarah Iselin welcomes attendees to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Innovation Center in Boston, MA. [Nicolas Ruggiero, Director of Digital Communications, EOLWD]
“No one really plans to become a family caregiver. But when it does happen, we should be ready to support our employees as they navigate the caregiving journey,” said Acting Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs Robin Lipson. “The Healey-Driscoll Administration is dedicated to supporting family caregivers through important partnerships such as the Caregivers Coalition.”
"Providing a supportive workplace and ensuring our workers have the resources to succeed makes our economy thrive. Today’s breakfast brought attention to the important resources that employers and workers have at their disposal and will help kick start a larger conversation on caregivers in the workplace.” said Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Chrissy Lynch.
In spring 2024, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced that the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will lead the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition to align with and build on the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s workforce agenda. 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.
“By bringing together business, labor, and government partners, the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition is able to build awareness of the importance of caregiver-friendly policies in the workplace. It’s about attracting and retaining talent, and also recognizing that employees who juggle caregiving responsibilities are developing news skills that are valuable for employers,” said Undersecretary Josh Cutler. “We welcome new partners to join the Caregiver Coalition and work with us in this effort.”
"It was remarkable to see how much the topic of supporting working caregiving resonated with everyone in the room this morning. In large part due to the Coalition’s steadfast resiliency on driving this change, it is had been made abundantly clear that there's a growing sense of awareness that supporting family caregivers is essential,” said Care.com General Manager of Senior Care Jill McNamara. “This momentum is inspiring, showing a real commitment to making caregiving a priority across both the public and private sectors.”
The Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition welcomes employers and workforce partners to join the network and access available resources to recognize, support, and build creative solutions that allow family caregivers to thrive in the workplace while also caring for family at home. To learn more and request to join, visit the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition website.
沒有留言:
發佈留言