Paramount supports its employees through the various stages of life. The media and entertainment company has been offering eldercare benefits for about 15 years, making it an early adopter of a perk that more employers are considering offering as more employees manage the needs of their older relatives. In 2010, only 3% of employers provided any kind of subsidized eldercare benefits, according to a 2014 survey by SHRM.

Michelle Martin, SVP of total rewards at Paramount, said the company previously only offered backup care, which is typically used if an older relative’s primary caregiver becomes unavailable, or they need a temporary aide for a finite period. She said very few employees used the program in the early days, though it has become much more popular in the last five to 10 years. Paramount expanded its coverage about five years ago to offer an eldercare management program through Bright Horizons that offers employees help arranging a safety assessment of a loved one’s home, coaching about different care options, and more.

“We really look at and listen to the feedback that we get from employees, and we were hearing a lot about the struggles with eldercare,” said Martin.

The need for eldercare is growing as people live longer, although the benefits aren’t common.

Keep reading here.—TA

After a worryingly low October jobs report, the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data, released Friday, saw a rebound in hiring, while wage growth stagnated and unemployment ticked up slightly. Let’s dive in.

Jobs rebound. Employers added 227,000 jobs in November, a significant increase from the revised 36,000 job gains in October, which was marred by severe weather and strike activity.

Slowing wage growth. Average hourly earnings rose by 13 cents to $35.61 in November, a 0.4% increase. Average hourly earnings over the last 12-month period increased by 4.0%, unchanged from October. This could point to stabilizing wage increases after several years of skyrocketing wages meant to keep up with inflation.

Mixed bag on unemployment. Overall unemployment increased slightly to 4.2% in November. Long-term unemployment increased year over year from 1.2 million in November 2023 to 1.7 million last month. Despite the recent uptick, unemployment still remains historically low, and employers still continue to face growing talent shortages that could impact their recruiting strategies, Dan Beck, SAP SuccessFactors president and chief product officer, told HR Brew.

Keep reading here.—PM

Spain recently experienced some of the worst flooding in decades. Now, the country has approved a new type of paid leave to keep workers safe.

Where in the world? On Nov. 29, Spain enacted “paid climate leave,” which provides up to four days off to workers during weather emergencies, the Guardian reported. The legislation came swiftly after the October floods in Valencia, on the country’s east coast, when hundreds of office workers were trapped after their employers required them to report to the office, despite the government warnings to stay home. “This was a climate disaster that turned into a labor disaster because of the negligence of employers and the Valencian government,” Esther Lynch, general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, said.

Moving forward, employers must allow workers to stay home without penalty if authorities issue weather-related stay-at-home orders. Employers may also grant longer absences, but must cover the associated costs for additional leave, according to EuroNews. Companies must also develop climate disaster action plans in the next year, and outline how employees will be notified in case of a disaster.

Satellite view. The US economy lost $934.7 billion over the last decade due to climate change, and employers lose roughly 2.5 billion hours in labor every year due to climate-related disasters. This fall, Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated communities, and cost tens of thousands of lost jobs—leading workplace experts to suggest employers take more responsibility before disaster strikes.

Keep reading here.—KP