Overview
Learn how to create carer-friendly workplaces with a cost-free, flexible online course!
Explore how you can support carer-employees in your workplace. Learn how to build and implement carer-friendly workplaces that are accommodating for the needs of those balancing employment and unpaid care responsibilities.
- Build the foundation: identify the carer-employees in your workplace and acknowledge current available supports
- Implement practices that facilitate a supportive and inclusive workplace culture for carer-employees, adhering to the CSA B701:17 (R2021) Carer-Inclusive and Accommodating Organizations Workplace Standard
- Monitor progress and impact: measure the success of newly implemented carer-friendly workplace procedures
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Course highlights Learn More
- Earn a microcredential
- Flexible online course
- Learn from resources provided by Human Resources and Occupational Health and Safety experts
What you'll learn Learn More
- Recognize carer-employees
- Understand how to support carer-employees
- Monitor tools and best practices
Learn more about the Creating Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces course
- Carer-Employees who plan to advocate for carer-friendly support in their workplaces
- Human Resource Professionals
- Occupational Health & Safety Professionals
- Unions and their representatives
- Employee Assistant Program (EAP) providers
- Municipal, Provincial and Federal Government managers
- Employers and managers of small, medium and large businesses seeking to improve recruitment and retention in their workforce
- Employers seeking to improve EDI policies and practices
- Employers seeking to improve psychological health and safety
- Employers interested in improving work-family balance
- Professionals working in any public or private sector
- Reduce costs associated with frequent absences and disability claims
- Strengthen recruitment and retention by accommodating the needs of carer-employees
- Increase employee productivity and loyalty
- Enhance work-family balance and improve psychological health and safety
- Improve current EDI standards and strategies in your workplace
This cost-free, short course assists organizations to implement carer-friendly workplace strategies and/or policies, such as the CSA B701:17 (R2021) Carer-Inclusive and Accommodating Organizations Standard. The course is also of interest to carer-employees who are interested in their rights and advocacy opportunities. The completion of this course is rewarded with a microcredential, which may be recognized by a number of professional associations.
The Caregiver-Friendly Workplace Policies Fact Sheet includes the following information:
- Who carer-employees are
- What carer-friendly workplace policies exist
- Cost to employers
- Benefits to employers
- Tips for employers
Learn all this and more by accessing the fact sheet here.
Other programs you may be interested in
Microcredential in Creating Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces
Microcredential in Creating Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces
Pursue your Microcredential Certification of Assessed Learning in Creating Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces with McMaster Continuing Education
Upon successfully completing this course, you will receive a microcredential recognizing your learning achievement. Complete with details of the skills and specialized knowledge you have acquired, the microcredential is digitally shareable, making it easy to add to your resume, LinkedIn profile and to share with current or prospective employers.
Explore the requirements below and register today!
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Microcredential in Creating Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces
Earn your digital microcredential in Creating Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces by scoring at least 80% on all activities
What is a microcredential?
A microcredential is a certification of assessed learning associated with specific and relevant skills or competencies. In this case, it recognizes the skills and knowledge acquired in the Creating Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces course. The credential earned is issued to you by email in a digital format.
How can you use your microcredential?
You can use a digital microcredential in a number of ways. The microcredential can help you work towards completing professional development requirements in your workplace. You can share it on Facebook and LinkedIn, or you can add it to your resume. If you do not want to share your microcredential online, you can print a copy of it and give it to someone including an employer or prospective employer. Or you might want to print and frame it for yourself.
When will microcredentials be issued?
Your microcredential will be issued from within the course once you have completed the final activity and achieved 80% on it.
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Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces Resources and Studies
Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces Resources and Webinar Recordings
Resources
Carer-Inclusive Organizations Workplace Standard and Implementation Guide (Package)
Carer-Inclusive Standard for Workplaces: B701-F17 – Carer-inclusive and accommodating organizations
Implementation Guide: B701HB-18 – Helping worker-carers in your organization
Tools & Resources for employers
Tools & Resources for employees
Tools & Resources for researchers and HR professionals
Webinar Recordings
Coming of Age: a Podcast (OLTCA) – Elder Care in the Modern Workplace
CAREWELL Conversations (Podcast) – Carer friendly workplace standards- A Canadian perspective
Caregiver roles, burdens and support video featuring Allison Williams and Wendy Duggleby
The Virtual unveiling of the Carer-Inclusive and Accomodating Organizations Standard (3/26/2018)
International Carer Standard ISO 25551 Overview
Caregiving Essentials Resources and Studies
Ontario Caregiver Organization
The OCO offers a 24/7 Helpline for Caregiver information and referral. The Helpline can be reached across the province anytime, at 1-833-416-CARE (2273) or via live chat Monday to Friday from 7am to 9pm. Learn more.
Book: The Unexpected Journey of Caring: The Transformation From Loved One to Caregiver
“You don’t step into the caregiver role, it steps into you.” – Dr. Zachary White and Donna Thomson (Course Instructor)
New Caregiving Podcast Series for Caregivers
The Waiting Room
Revolution is a new podcast series for patients and caregivers of individuals with serious illnesses. It is designed to help caregivers plan and anticipate events in their loved ones’ illness journey rather than react in a constant state of chaos and crisis.
Video: Growing Together: Transformation to Caregiving
Studies
Once you are registered as a Caregiving Essentials student, don’t forget to check the discussion boards in the course regularly. They are a great way to share your experience and knowledge while supporting other caregivers and receiving support. There are new resources added every day in the section called “Where to Find Help” so check in often.
Below are just a few of these resources:
Free, flexible programs for busy caregivers by the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO)
The OCO also offers a 24/7 Helpline for Caregiver information and referral. The Helpline can be reached across the province anytime, at 1-833-416-CARE (2273) or via live chat Monday to Friday from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm EST.
Find out more: www.ontariocaregiver.ca.
Subscribe to the OCO newsletter to receive updates about program registration: https://ontariocaregiver.ca/getinvolved/subscribe/
As you may or may not know, every year, the Ontario Caregiver Organization publishes its Spotlight Report which takes a look at the caregiving experience in Ontario. This year, the OCO looked at how the experience has changed in year two of the pandemic, compared to year one. Read the full report here.
McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA)
The link to the main website for the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging is https://mira.mcmaster.ca/.
Another link you may want to explore goes to McMaster’s Optimal Aging Portal. This portal is a rich repository of information that may help you in your caregiving role and in understanding health and illness as we age: https://www.mcmasteroptimalaging.org/
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Caregiving Essentials Webinars
Caregiving Essentials Webinars
Upcoming webinars
The Caregiving Essentials webinar series will run from October 2023 – August 2024. Stay tuned for more webinars links!
Previous Caregiving Essentials Webinars
You can access previous webinars from this playlist:
