Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Newsletter

Brought to you by ieadvocates (invisible employee advocates)

Will you be able to say a year from now that you were part of a culture of care?

Thank you for being here!

We hope your 2025 is off to a good start.

We imagine you have already set your business and people goals for 2025. We recall that when we worked in corporate, we would conduct a vision exercise to set our goals. That is, we would ask ourselves and our teams “what do you want to see at the end of the current year”? Then we would work backwards.

What do you see when you hear the term “culture of care”? Jeff Bevis in a Forbes article shares his thought on the topic:

In the article, Jeff Bevis makes a very good argument that while it is not easy to convince business leaders that creating a culture of care should be a high priority goal, having one has tremendous value and benefit to everyone involved with the organization internally and externally.

Also, in this issue, we spotlight a caregiver advocate and leader who did not need any convincing in Episode 10 of our Working Caregiver-The Invisible Employees podcast. She just read our book (shameless plug ☺️) and followed her heart and mind. Dr. Gina Anderson is a visionary entrepreneur and people leader. Read about how she is building a culture of care in her organization.

We hope you will take the time to learn more about working caregivers, especially those that are part of your workplace, and what a culture of care may look like. The more you learn, the more you will see it. If you can see it, then you can plan for it.

Whether you’re an employer, business manager, HR, or a working caregiver, this newsletter offers valuable insights along with win-win-win simple solutions to help implement meaningful change for organizations, employees who are caregivers, and their care recipients.

Table of Contents

• Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Newslet …

  • Will you be able to say a year from now that you w …

  • In the news:

  • People and Companies In the spotlight:

  • Stories From Real Working Caregivers:

  • Recommended media content:

  • With gratitude, we share a book review:

    • Order Our Book Here

In the news:

In 2017 the organization launched an award-winning global initiative “Embracing Carers^® ” for its caregiving employees around the world. This valuable initiative provides tons of support and resources, “including training and upskilling to benefit caregivers and their loved ones.” They are walking the talk and as a result are doing all the right things to create a culture of care—raising awareness, having discussions and conversations, and taking action when it comes to “the often-overlooked needs of carers.” Read more here

 Did you know? (Read our blog):

U.S. Far Behind on Paid Leave Policies (Blog 1/28/25)

Did you know that the United States is leading the world in economic performance and has been doing so for some time? (The Economist Magazine).   Although a trip to the grocery store may lead you to think otherwise, the U.S. economy is in a dominant position of strength compared to its global peers. When it comes to paid family leave policies, however, we linger woefully behind. In fact, we rank last place among our 38 affluent peer countries regarding family caregiving policies and work/life quality. 

This is largely because the U.S. has no paid family leave policy at the national level. There is a 12-week family leave policy which most of us are familiar with. However, this is “unpaid” which makes it unaffordable for family caregivers who need to maintain their income to survive. When we consider that the elderly population in the U.S. is growing while the younger population is shrinking, the need for a national paid leave policy becomes even more imperative. Let’s take a closer look at this picture.

Read blog here

People and Companies In the spotlight:

Episode 10: How Compassionate Policies Transform Workplaces and Lives with Dr. Gina Anderson

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Gina Anderson, a learning scientist and advocate for working caregivers. Join us as we explore her personal caregiving journey, her groundbreaking compassionate care policy, and the profound ripple effects such policies can have on workplaces and beyond. Dr. Anderson shares her experience of caregiving for her mother while balancing the demands of running a business, offering practical advice and inspiration for employers and caregivers alike. We also dive into how businesses can create a culture of support and trust, the importance of human connection in the workplace, and Dr. Anderson’s work in behavioral learning and safety with her company, Luma Brighter Learning. 

Dr. Gina Anderson is on a mission to help motor carriers grow their safety culture through meaningful learning that inspires and engages employees. For more than 25 years, she has focused her attention on studying how adults best learn, consistently growing her methodology by engaging in the trucking industry and learning professionals.  Gina is the CEO of Luma Brighter Learning, an award-winning company that provides an enterprise learning management system (LMS) tailored to the transportation and logistics industry. With a focus on maximizing safety, ensuring compliance, and boosting employee retention, Luma supports the entire organization with individualized coaching programs, customizable content, digital forms, compliance reporting tools, and unlimited secure file storage. She routinely publishes new, measurable, science-based techniques specifically focused on adult learning to help companies improve their safety scores and uphold compliance. She is also an author with a new book that just came out: Thrive: How Learning Can Ignite a New Way Forward by Dr. Gina Anderson.

Stories From Real Working Caregivers:

Kim Andrews is an accomplished Leadership and Career Transition Coach & Strategist, and founder of Envision Career Design. With decades of experience in human resources, career management, and executive coaching, she empowers professionals to navigate career transitions and leadership challenges with clarity and confidence. Kim’s collaborative and honest coaching style, combined with her industry expertise, inspires clients to achieve measurable results and personal growth. She is also the co-author of the book: “Taking the Leap: From Employee or Executive to Female Founder”, an Amazon Best Seller, sharing insights on making bold, purposeful transitions.

Read the entire interview here

Recommended media content:

PODCASTS

Our neighbors to the north have the same working caregiver challenges we have. Here is a podcast series with caregiving stories that shape the lives of over eight million Canadians. These experiences are at the heart of Who Cares, a new podcast from The Canadian Centre For Caregiving Excellence and Snack Labs Productions. Hosted by sibling caregiver, Melissa Ngo, the eight-part series shines a spotlight on the unseen realities of caregivers and care providers across Canada. It reveals how caregiving acts as the linchpin of Canadian society, holding together our healthcare systems and economy, while also offering policy solutions to address them. We want to thank Liv Mendlesohn, Executive Director and Olivia Olensinski, Communications Manager, for sharing this podcast series with us.

VIDEOS

I Wish Someone Told Me: The 10 Things All Caregivers and Aging Adults Should Know About Caregiving In this video, caregiving expert Pamela D. Wilson combines 20+ years of professional and personal experience and humor to share common caregiving surprises. Ten topics about caregiving experiences are discussed. They respond to statements made by the caregiver such as "I wish someone told me caregiving would be like this" and statements made by aging adults like, "I wish someone told me aging would be like this." As if caregiving is something we shouldn't talk about, it is rarely discussed until the responsibility becomes a reality. For more caregiving, aging, and elder care tips, visit Pamela's website at www.PamelaDWilson.com 

BOOKS

Thrive: How Learning Can Ignite a New Way Forward by Dr. Gina Anderson is a groundbreaking exploration of how our digitally driven world shapes our emotions, relationships, and sense of purpose—and how we can reclaim joy, connection, and meaning through the transformative power of learning. Dr. Anderson is a caregiver advocate and has created a culture of care in her organization. She is also a guest on our podcast.

In this compelling guide, Dr. Anderson provides tools and insights to help readers cut through the noise, re-engage with the world around them, and cultivate a love of learning that fosters curiosity, resilience, and a sense of community. Whether you’re seeking to thrive in your personal life, strengthen relationships, or spark change in your workplace, this book offers a new way forward for anyone ready to embrace the joys of intentional living.

With gratitude, we share a book review:

We want to thank Kitty Cat who took the time to read our book and provide a thoughtful review!

Wish this book would have been around when my parents were needing care.

Order your copy of Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees book here. If you want to order a quantity of books for your leadership team and employees, contact us directly about discount pricing.

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