Following Budget 2014, the Government of Canada launched the Canadian Employers for Caregivers Plan (CECP) to explore ways to help employee caregivers participate as fully as possible in the workforce. The CECP is one of a range of activities that the Government of Canada and others are currently undertaking to support caregivers. These include tax measures, income replacement through employment insurance, and the provision of targeted programs for caregivers in populations under federal jurisdiction.
The CECP has three distinct elements:
- establishing a panel to consult with employers on workplace practices that support caregivers;
- analyzing the cost-benefit of workplace practices and supplying business case information; and
- exploring mechanisms for sustained employer engagement in this area
In June 2014, the first element of the plan, the Employer Panel for Caregivers, was established by the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State for Seniors. The Panel was mandated to engage with employers, to identify their best practices for supporting employee caregivers, and share these findings with other Canadian businesses and stakeholders. Enhancements to government programs or legislative changes were outside the mandate of the Panel.
To inform the Government’s future CECP initiatives, the Panel consulted with employers to explore whether they are using a business case to justify their investments in supporting employee caregivers. The Panel also sought to identify the level of interest in a forum for employers on the subject of caregivers in the workplace.
This report presents findings and insights from the Panel’s consultations on workplace practices for assisting employee caregivers, and provides recommendations for Canadian businesses interested in becoming more supportive of their employees who are caregivers.
To view the full report, please visit Employment and Social Development Canada.
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