Carers NZ is working with Accelerating Auckland to support working carers and those returning to the workforce.

Accelerating Auckland, a national trust that helps under-served communities become aware of, study toward, and participate in technology-based careers, is working with Carers NZ to raise awareness of flexible work benefits for carers.

A study by the University of Auckland last year found that of 300 carers interviewed, only eight have been able to remain in paid employment.

According to Census 2006, almost 90% of New Zealand carers are of workforce age (15 to 65) ... and almost 10% of young Kiwis aged 15 to 25 have caring responsibilities.

Flexi-work benefits

Judy Speight 
Helping carers to remain in paid employment if they wish to, or to study for new qualifications, or to return to paid work when the time is right, is important for New Zealand as the population ages, says Accelerating Auckland CEO and Carers NZ Trustee Judith Speight (left).  If high numbers of carers are unable to work, their families suffer economically, and so does New Zealand's broader economy.  Employers miss out too, she says, because carers with the skills they need aren't available.  Often carers work below their qualifications or skills because they aren't able to fully participate in 9 to 5 careers, especially if long commutes, frequent travel, or rigid deadlines are required.

Employers for Carers

Accelerating Auckland is leading a project with Carers NZ and BT's Caroline Waters to begin promoting the benefits of flexible work, and developing tools and advice to help carers and their employers. As BT found in the United Kingdom, the advantages of flexible work when this is made easily available to carers soon stack up for businesses ... BT's global workforce is now a flexible one, resulting in higher satisfaction for its thousands of workers, and benefits such as employee retention, improved productivity, and savings on office space and other costs for BT.  Caroline is also the chair of Britain's Employers for Carers initiative, whose stakeholders include government agencies, Carers UK, and employers.  We intend to launch a ‘sister' Employers for Carers initiative in New Zealand as an outcome of our work with Accelerating Auckland, with Caroline's help.

We'll keep you informed of progress in future issues of the magazine!