National Caregivers Day, an event that matters at TotalEnergies

Committed to quality of life at work, the CSTJF marked National Caregivers Day with a special event dedicated to caregivers. Clinical psychologist Diane Louste took this opportunity to raise employee awareness about the human and social issues associated with this often-overlooked role.

There are almost 11 million caregivers in France looking after sick, elderly or disabled loved ones. One in five caregivers are salaried workers. At the CSTJF, this is an important issue for the social services department headed by Patricia Lagaye, who is also the TotalEnergies’ Caregiver Advisor.

Together with her team, she manages the "Caregivers’ Cafés" – which have been running for several years now – with support and expertise from the French Association of Caregivers. On this day all about helping others, Patricia decided to organize an awareness-raising conference for employees at the Pau site.
 

Marking the occasion to better understand the invisible realities of caregivers

Clinical psychologist Diane Louste gave an informative talk on what she calls the "invisible wear and tear" associated with caregiving. She highlighted the often-overlooked role of those who, in addition to managing their professional and personal lives, are looking after a dependent family member. Based on a medical, psychological and systemic approach, she explained how this accumulation of responsibilities, emotional burden, isolation and lack of awareness about their own status can lead to total exhaustion, comparable to occupational or parental burnout.

"The number of caregivers is only increasing and their role is becoming more important in a society where half of the French population will be over 60 by 2050, and where mental health issues are on the rise. Studies show that employees find it hard to juggle work and the role of caregiver. 80% say they have difficulty balancing their professional and personal lives," says Diane Louste.

It's essential that caregivers are taken into account in the care of their loved ones, in a structured and sustainable way, to protect their mental and physical health. The Company also has a key role to play, she explains: "It’s essential to foster a culture of trust where these employees are encouraged to speak out and given better support. Only 26% to 29% of employee caregivers feel confident talking to their employer about their situation. So, it’s very important to provide a space where they can discuss these issues."

Diane underlined the importance of this initiative at the CSTJF in "valuing caregivers’ commitment, dedication and contribution to society," while "encouraging them to see their role for what it is, so they can better understand their rights, thus making it easier to access the resources and support schemes available."

She highlighted some of the best practices observed in socially-responsible organizations, in particular: flexible working hours, the option to work part-time, remote working, special leave, psychological support, as well as counselling and mediation services.
 

Concrete actions

Since 2023, TotalEnergies in Pau has been providing structured, human-centric support to help its employee caregivers. In addition to the monthly "Caregivers’ Café", co-hosted by a clinical psychologist, occupational health nurses, social services and the QVCT (Quality of Life and Working Conditions) advisor, this scheme includes a dedicated advisor and a "caregiver" agreement that provides for authorized paid leave for employees with disabled children, remote working, continuation of salary for a certain number of days, and access to psychological support platforms, etc.

"We would like to keep doing more and better to support those who support others, in a humane, inclusive and sustainable way. TotalEnergies is one of the few companies in the region to offer this type of scheme. Around a hundred people attended the conference, which was followed by a discussion. It’s a really positive result," concludes Patricia Lagalaye.