Fair Deal position paper tailored for Germany
The German Association of Informal Carers, wir pflegen e.V., published early december ten principles for pilot projects aimed at transitioning unpaid family carers into formal employment arrangements.
“Growing staff shortages and the lack of relief options in home care are forcing thousands of employed family members to reduce their working hours to ensure care for their loved ones—often at significant financial cost,” said Sebastian Fischer, a board member of the association. “This has led to increasing discussions about concepts such as a ‘care salary’ for family members, which have already appeared in some political party platforms.”
In response to this Europe-wide issue, Eurocarers collaborated with its European member organizations in November 2024 to develop and publish ten principles for fair agreements concerning the formal employment of family carers.
“The German Association wir pflegen e.V. co-developed and adopted these principles for fair agreements with carers, which apply across Europe, including in Germany,” noted Sebastian Fischer. “With the German version of the position paper, we are looking beyond national borders at pilot projects in other European countries and bringing the foundations for fair and sustainable employment of family carers more prominently into the public debate in Germany.”
“It is high time for informal caring by family members to receive formal recognition. The option to employ caring family members offers opportunities but also entails risks. Our joint position paper with Eurocarers sets out clear principles for what must be considered in the formal employment of family carers across Europe. We are pleased to present these valuable recommendations for discussion in Germany,” Sebastian Fischer explained.
Read the German version here: https://www.wir-pflegen.net/aktuelles/nachrichten/positionspapier-grundsaetze-fuer-die-faire-beschaeftigung-pflegender-an-und-zugehoeriger
And the English version here: https://eurocarers.org/publications/a-fair-deal-for-carers/
