Are you part of the stress at work Sandwich Generation?

The sandwich generation is a term coined in 1981 by the scholar Dorothy Miller who wrote that this was defined as ‘The children of the elderly, who are “situated” between their aging parents and their young children. grow up, they are under many problems. of stress. As a major resource and support for older people, this group has a need for services that are beginning to be met by professional helpers.’

Filling out the sandwich in the 1980s were the Baby Boomers. But now, the burden falls on Gen X and millennials.

Dealing with the problems of leaving school and having fun with the wider responsibilities of raising children, they are also tasked with taking care of the needs of their growing parents.

So how did this happen? Broadly speaking, the age at which women have children has been increasing since the mid-1970s, consistent with broader socioeconomic factors.

The average age of mothers who gave birth in England and Wales has increased to 30.9 years in 2021, and the average age of fathers has reached 33.7 years. Compare that to the period between 1969-1971, for example, which saw first-time young mothers under the age of 24, and obviously people are having babies later.

We can also thank progress in addressing inequality and discrimination for some of this social change.

For example, the famous “marriage bar” which meant that married women could not join the civil service or had to leave when they got married, was only abolished in 1973 for the Foreign Service to the State. In 1971, 53% of women aged 16-64 were in the workforce, but by 2013 that percentage had risen to 67%.

The broad campaign to entitle and pay maternity leave, the expansion of the equal pay act of 1970, and the rise of second wave feminism also helped. We are also living longer: in 1970, life expectancy for men was 68.7 years and for women it was 75 years. Now, more than 50 years later, these numbers look they are much better.

As a result, the ONS currently estimates that 1.3 million people in the UK are part of the caring sandwich. Studies have also found that women tend to take on more caregiving responsibilities than men.

One study found that two out of three caregivers are women. Another study found that there is also a greater expectation for women to achieve care responsibilities than men, according to 88% of women and 65% of men.

This puts women of the sandwich generation at a great disadvantage. They are pushed from pillar to post, and there are usually many people who depend on them. As a result, the survey showed that 86% said they felt guilty for not doing enough for their parents or children, with 88% saying they neglected their own health and well-being.

Another 71% feel guilty about not being able to put enough money into their work, and 75% worry about neglecting their jobs.

Another major contribution to the sandwich generation was the flexibility of work during the pandemic. Remote work offered more ways to balance their work with their other commitments—they might meet an elderly relative during the day, for example, or start later in the morning. if necessary—and the work is being done.

But that era of flexibility is now in the rear-view mirror, and hybrid schedules have proven to be the way many companies want their employees to work.

Hybrid working offers real flexibility, in that employees are able to choose the days that suit them best to come to the office, and they are able to choose start and end times that work with their lives. In general, this can work well for everyone.

However, many companies choose a ‘hybrid structured approach’ with days set in blocks of the week to accommodate meetings and desk assignments, for example.

This is the kind of approach that may not work well for the sandwich generation, who want to be efficient at work, but have many other competitive priorities. If this is you, the first step is to request a meeting with your manager to explain your concerns.

While good managers want to keep good people, decision-making in the C-suite may not allow them to give you a completely flexible schedule, or they may not. they see this as important. In such a case, you may need to think about your future in your current job, and begin the process of researching companies that have friendly policies—along with that much-needed change.

Are you ready to find a role with better pay and benefits? Visit Metro Job Board today for hundreds of roles across the UK.

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