Crédit Agricole Assurances committed to caregivers for over 10 years
“With 11 million caregivers in France, i.e. at least one in six citizens who care for a dependent relative, support for caregivers is taking on increasing importance in our society. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded the already numerous problems that they encounter every day, and the matter of their own health is now, more than ever, a public health issue. We have been working alongside caregivers for 10 years, and we will continue to do so” says Philippe Dumont, Chief Executive Officer of Crédit Agricole Assurances.
As a responsible insurer, we have been committed to caregivers at Crédit Agricole Assurances since 2010 through two support initiatives: our nationwide call for applications to support associations or public interest bodies who help caregivers, and specific agreements for our own employees who act as caregivers for their loved-ones, focused on respite care, caregiver assistance and psychological support.
Calls for applications: helping 20,000 caregivers over the last 10 years
Crédit Agricole Assurances has been sponsoring community associations that help caregivers who look after a family member since 2010, through its national call for applications. This is very much a part of our commitment to promote social inclusion.
Caregivers play a vital role in intergenerational solidarity and in keeping dependent people at home. This initiative is intended to provide funding for community programmes across France. In addition to financial support for a period of one year, the chosen associations receive training to help them with communication issues, obtain funding and develop partnerships.
Since 2010, 180 programmes have been funded nationally, thanks to an overall envelope of close to €2.5 million, providing support for more than 20,000 caregivers in their daily lives.
Employees who care for dependent loved-ones: a tailored HR initiative
With 4.6 million caregivers currently in employment, Crédit Agricole Assurances is aware that this issue also affects its own employees. To support them, we set up specific company agreements in 2016 on respite care, caregiver assistance and psychological support. The goal is to help employees reconcile their role as a caregiver and their career.
These agreements include five measures: assistance from a social worker, a psychological support platform available seven days a week, caregiver leave and donations of paid leave days, the financing of universal employment vouchers and managerial support. All Crédit Agricole Assurances employees who care for a dependent loved-one can also avail of the Responsage service. This service will put them in contact with an advisor who will provide a personalised response to their request, in the strictest confidence, within 72 hours.
In 2021, 262 days were collected and matched by the company to the tune of 50%. In 2020, 17 employees were able to benefit from this solidarity fund. A “caregiver’s guide” containing all the help on offer and steps to be taken has also been prepared for employees, together with a preventive healthcare guide that contains additional information.
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Alongside this, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Crédit Agricole Group has set up an emergency fund of more than €21 million, to which Crédit Agricole Assurances has contributed. This fund has been placing a particular focus on elderly people and also provides support for their caregivers.
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