When you have to do it all at once: answers to the challenges of the sandwich generation

The term sandwich generation appears more and more frequently in social and labor market dialogue, yet few people think of it as a real, independent life situation. It is not about a specific age group, but about those active workers who simultaneously bear responsibility for their children who are still becoming independent and their aging parents who require more and more support. Due to the postponement of childbearing, the increase in life expectancy and the transformation of family roles, it is now common for the burdens of work, care and organization to fall on the same generation at the same time. This pressure from both directions means not only financial, but also significant mental and emotional burden, while all this typically appears in the most active and productive period of an employee’s life. 

The phenomenon has become widespread as a result of the social changes of recent decades. While in the past, having children typically occurred at a younger age, today in developed countries many people start families only after the age of 30. As a result, it often happens that while children still need active support, grandparents also require more and more help in everyday life – be it with everyday administration, household tasks, transportation or even patient care. The name “sandwich” also refers to this. Those affected are squeezed between their dependent children and their dependent parents, like the filling of a sandwich between two slices of bread. 

This life situation not only requires financial expenditure, but also involves long-term stress and increased mental strain, so it is an increasingly important question what responses workplaces provide to this challenge. The increased strain also highlights that traditional work organization models are increasingly unable to meet the needs of employees in different life situations. The widespread use of working from home during the pandemic has proven to many that flexibility is not just a temporary solution, but can also be a long-term solution to complex life situations such as those faced by members of the sandwich generation every day. 

“While many companies have returned to exclusively office-based working after the pandemic, K&H has continued to commit to the hybrid model. In those positions where the nature of the tasks allows it, our employees can work from home weekly They can work from home for 2-3 days. In our experience, this flexibility not only improves work-life balance and reduces stress, but also strengthens employee satisfaction. Members of the sandwich generation often carry invisible burdens on their shoulders, while having to juggle work and family at the same time, which is why at K&H we believe that the basis of effective work is trust and flexibility that adapts to life situations. Our goal is that colleagues do not have to choose between career and private life”

– said Medvey Leila, HR Director at K&H.