6 Ways to Support the Essential Labor of Caregivers
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Angela Garbes, author of Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change, is clear about the significance of care work—not only to families but also to organizations and society at large.
“Care work is the work that makes all other work possible,” she says. Whether it’s paid professionals like nannies and home health aides or family members performing unpaid caregiving duties, care work is the foundation upon which all other activities in our society rest.
Garbes, who is also the author of Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy, says that if we, as employees and employers, fail to support caregivers, we are “working against our own business interests.”
She notes that without caregivers, both personal and professional responsibilities become unmanageable, adding that the pandemic made that clear.
Rectifying this means addressing the historical and systemic undervaluation of care work, which disproportionately impacts women of color, according to Garbes. “Devaluing the work done by women and people of color is a choice,” she says. “And our governments and employers consistently make the wrong choice regarding care.”
To make clear just how devalued this work is, she notes that the average yearly income for a home health aide is $21,000. Nannies and elder care providers are similarly underpaid despite being entrusted with the well-being of our most vulnerable populations while enabling others to work.
So, what can we do?
Six Ways to Advocate for Caregivers
Garbes offers many suggestions for what we can do at work and beyond to advocate for the essential work of caregiving. They include:
1. Join or Start a Caregiver Resource Group
Caregiver employee resource groups (ERGs) are a powerful tool for advocating for policies that support caregivers. Garbes encourages women to get involved: “We should all be in a caregiving resource group… and you should encourage men to join, too,” she says.
If your company doesn’t have a caregiver ERG, she suggests starting one. These groups can be instrumental in pushing for supportive workplace policies.
2. Advocate for Paid Family Leave
The United States is one of only two industrialized nations that fail to offer paid family leave. Garbes stresses the importance of advocating for comprehensive leave policies that cover more than just maternity leave.
“When I’m talking about paid family leave, I’m not just talking about welcoming a child,” she says. “I’m talking about fostering a child, adopting a child if your brother gets into a car accident, or if your mother receives a cancer diagnosis.”
3. Push for Flexible Work Hours
Garbes observes that the pandemic proved how effective remote work and flexible hours can be. “No one needs to be in an office eight hours a day, five days a week,” she says, advocating for more flexibility in the workplace to accommodate caregiving responsibilities.
She also highlights the importance of flexibility during key caregiving hours, especially between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., when parents and caregivers often face the most pressure. “Sometimes it is the only time parents and children get together,” she explains, urging workplaces to support caregivers during these crucial hours.
4. Support Domestic Workers
Many of us employ domestic workers, such as nannies or cleaners, but don’t always consider ourselves as their employers. Garbes observes, “Our homes are other people’s workplaces,” and as such, we are responsible for ensuring that these workers are treated with dignity and respect. So, she suggests that if you employ domestic workers, you should engage in deeper conversations with them about their needs and ensure they have formal agreements and fair wages.
5. Advocate for National Legislation
Garbes says that larger systemic changes are also needed to support caregivers nationwide. She suggests advocating for legislation such as the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, paid family leave, and community-based care policies.
6. Hold Employers Accountable
“Corporations and employers should be offering benefits, flexible work schedules, childcare subsidies, and generous leaves,” Garbes says. These should not be viewed as bonuses but as basic human rights that enable workers to thrive.
Garbes concludes that as professional women, we are in a unique position to lead the charge for a more equitable system that values care work. By advocating for systemic changes—fair wages for caregivers, paid leave, and flexible work hours—and by fostering solidarity with those who care for us, we can create a world that truly values the essential labor that keeps us all afloat.
After all, “care is the only real work of humans,” she says. “It is work. And we are not meant to do this work alone.”
Angela Garbes spoke at the 2024 National Conference for Women. This article, edited for brevity, is based on her talk.