A new so-called generation is emerging, joining baby boomers, GenX, millennials, and GenZ, and it is primarily a female demographic.
Many women are juggling multiple roles, including careers, raising children, managing their households, and increasingly, caring for aging parents. They are becoming known as the Sandwich Generation.
The North Augusta Chamber of Commerce sponsored “Caught in the Middle: Women of the Sandwich Generation.” Leading the discussion was a panel of women with diverse backgrounds:
- Yvette Harris, Co-owner, Horizon Motor Coach
- Amy Hane, Owner, Long Term Liaisons
- Jennifer Turman, HR Manager, SRP Federal Credit Union
- April Collins, CEO, Aiken Electric Cooperative, Inc.
As the owner of Long Term Liaisons, which provides certified care managers to help older individuals and their families, Hane said she has identified both hurdles and successes. Hurdles include feelings of guilt that the family hasn’t done enough, and worries about having sufficient money to provide care.
“I think the successes that I see with people is when they learn to let go of those guilt feelings,” she said. “And we help them understand that their children and their spouse, long term, come before their elderly loved one. And we teach people how to make success with what entities are out there, home health, hospice, assisted living, the VA, Medicaid, and long-term care insurance. How do you tap into all those resources so you can have success?”
As an HR Manager, Turman said absenteeism can be an issue, but companies must balance the needs of individual employees with providing consistent policies for all employees.
“So, let’s look at what we afford our employees, as far as time off, because now we have sick time, and so with that sick time, does that sick time include taking your child to the doctor, or your parents?” she said. “You’re not necessarily going through what that employee is going through, but it’s important that you offer that compassion. We all have rules we have to follow, but it’s about having that conversation just to see what that person may need.”
Aiken Electric Cooperative serves customers in nine counties, including Aiken, Edgefield, and Barnwell. As CEO, Collins said they have programs in place, such as offering a fund employees can pay into to help cover daycare expenses.
“We also really foster cross-training, so employees, if they have to be off for an extended period or an emergency comes up, they don’t have to bring up their job getting done. Somebody can step in and do it for them,” she explained. “We have a leave donation policy so employees that have excess leave can donate.”
While all four panel members were business leaders, they are also squarely in the age brackets most impacted by the demands of balancing work, home, children, and aging parents. Participating as a panel member gave them the opportunity to share information while also learning.
“I’ve learned a lot here today, and I will try to apply it, with the most important one I learned is set boundaries,” said Harris. “I will try to set boundaries, and I’ve learned that I can’t do everything. So, I will try not to do everything, and I’ll try to get rid of the guilt that I feel all the time. So, this has actually been a learning experience for me.”
