in France, people become family caregivers at younger and younger ages

For the second consecutive year, theJoint organization of pension and provident institutions (Ocirp) – which is a union of provident institutions, on the eve of National Caregivers Day which takes place on Thursday 6 October – examines the condition of these employees who must combine their work and the help they provide to a child or a parent with a loss of autonomy, most often related to age. Eight to eleven million people are considered family caregivers in France, and six out of ten work. In one year, their situation has deteriorated markedly.

First, because the age of carers is falling. In 2021, the average age at which one entered care was 39 years old: this year it is 36 years old. According to Marie-Anne Mauchamp, the director general of the Ocirp and former minister, in particular because women have children later and that, therefore, younger people have elderly parents in their care.

Another point that has changed significantly in one year, the number of hours that we devote to the loved one in need: it was 8:30 a.m. in 2021, it went to 10:50 a.m. this year. Result: nearly a third of caring employees say to themselves “clueless“and the well-being index of this population is down sharply.

And yet the question seems to remain taboo in the company, because only a quarter of these helping employees have informed their employer of their situation. For Marie-Anne Mauchamp, especially in the biggest companies, there is a fear of not being promoted. At the highest level of expertise, there is a real omerta on this subject. However, underlines the former minister, we must “wake up now” because in 2030, one worker in four will be a caregiver.

There is, however, a system for these employees, the “caregiver leave”. For three months, you can take leave from your job to help a loved one. During this leave, which can be divided, you will not be paid by your employer, but you will be compensated by a daily allowance. Problem, underlines Marie-Anne Mauchamp, this right is too little used, in particular for fear of stigmatization in the workplace.