Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace
Nearly 23 million Americans work full- or part-time while providing care for an ill or disabled parent, spouse, or child. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as schools and childcare facilities closed, even more employees found themselves balancing work and caregiving.
Now more than ever, employer support and workplace benefits that address caregivers’ needs are essential. Here are strategies organizations can implement.
Provide flexibility
Flexible work arrangements can make a meaningful difference for working caregivers. Guardian’s recent report Workforce 2020: Meeting the benefit needs of today’s diverse workforce in a changed world found that 72 percent of caregivers verses 53 percent of non-caregivers rank flexibility and empathy from their employers as “highly important.”1 Workplaces can offer flexibility through the following benefits strategies:
- Offer remote work options. While many employees are working from home due to COVID-19, providing this option as a long-term arrangement can bring vital flexibility to employees who double as caregivers.
- Allow flexible work schedules. If an employee is working from home and caring for a child or family member, a nine to five schedule won’t always line up with their competing demands. Caregivers who are working full-time spend an average of nine hours per week as a caretaker; caretakers who work part time spend over 16 hours a week. Consider offering flexible schedules to help with employees’ personal situations and allow for their unique caretaking, health or transportation needs.
Consider enhanced benefits
Employer-supported benefits provide extra support for employees with caregiving responsibilities. Research shows caregivers rely more heavily on benefits than non-caregivers. For example, 67% of caregivers report they would face financial hardship without workplace benefits, compared to 47% of non-caregivers.
Ways employers can support caregivers through benefits include:
- Offering paid time off. Consider grouping paid time off (PTO) programs into a single category of leave, which can offer employees greater flexibility to use time off for whatever they need and whenever they need it.
- Providing clear and inclusive policies and communications. Offer guidance and clarity around protected leave including FMLA and state-specific family leave laws.
- Reinforcing recommendations from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to comply with nondiscrimination requirements, including those with respect to preventing unlawful disparate treatment of workers with caregiving responsibilities.
- Considering virtual health care services. Telehealth and teledentistry can increase access to medical and dental consultations and treatments, which can be of particular help to employees with caregiving responsibilities.
- Sharing well-being resources. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) can support employee wellness and mental health and can include counseling services. Promote health savings accounts (HSAs) or other health reimbursement programs.
Create organization-wide buy-in and support for caregivers
Caregivers are often deterred from disclosing their caregiving responsibilities and nearly half have not informed their employers because they fear it will negatively impact their career. Building a culture of support and empathy for employees with caretaking responsibilities can encourage openness, reduce stigma towards caregivers, and raise awareness around caregivers’ unique needs.
- Enable managers to support flexible arrangements. By supporting direct managers’ ability to offer flexible schedules or work arrangements to employees they supervise, organizations can build a system of support at all levels.
- Create an employee resource group for workers who are also caregivers. This network can promote visibility and provide shared resources and information on adult care, child daycare facilities, assistance programs, and in-home care.
- Encourage those in leadership positions to share stories of their own caregiving experiences. This can reduce stigma and support an open dialogue around caregiving.
The Business Case for Supporting Caregivers
By offering flexibility and empathy, employers can build trust, encourage employee growth, and strengthen loyalty. Guardian’s Workforce 2020 Report found that caregivers who feel supported by their employer report higher job satisfaction. Furthermore, 74% of caregivers who feel valued plan to stay with their employer for 10 years or more.
Looking ahead, the U.S. population aged 65 and older will more than double by 2030, exceeding 80 million. The population aged 85 or older is expected to triple. Employers who address this trend through caregiver-friendly policies and benefits will invest in a stronger, more resilient workforce.
© 2023, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. All rights reserved.
11th Annual Workplace Benefits Study Research Methodology
The 11th Annual Workplace Benefits Study was fielded in February and March of 2022 and consisted of two online surveys: one among benefits decision-makers (employers) and another among working Americans (employees), allowing us to explore benefits issues from both perspectives. Survey data collection and tabulation were managed for Guardian by Zeldis Research, an independent market research firm located in Ewing, NJ.
Employer survey
Employer results are based on a national online survey of 2,000 employee benefits decision-makers. Respondents include business executives, business owners, human resources professionals, and financial management professionals. The survey covers all industries and is nationally representative of US businesses with at least five full-time employees. Data shown in this report have been weighted to reflect the actual proportion of US businesses by company size based on data from the US Census Bureau. The margin of error at the 95% confidence level is +/- 2.2%.
Employee survey
Employee results are based on a survey conducted among 2,000 employees age 22 or older, who work full-time for a company with at least five employees. The survey sample is nationally representative of US workers at companies of at least five full-time employees. Data shown in this report have been collected in a way to reflect the actual proportion of US workers by gender, region, race, ethnicity, education level, household income, age, and employer-size, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. The margin of error is +/- 2.1% at the 95% confidence level.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How can employers support caregivers in the workplace?
Employers can support caregivers by offering flexible work schedules, remote work options, paid time off, mental health resources, and inclusive workplace policies. Creating a supportive culture also helps caregivers feel valued and reduces burnout.
2. What benefits are most helpful for working caregivers?
The most helpful benefits include paid family leave, flexible hours, telehealth services, employee assistance programs (EAPs), health savings accounts, and caregiving resources such as referral services or backup care support.
3. Why is workplace flexibility important for caregivers?
Workplace flexibility allows caregivers to balance job responsibilities with family care. Flexible schedules and remote work reduce stress, improve productivity, and help employees stay engaged while managing caregiving duties.
4. What challenges do employees with caregiving responsibilities face?
Working caregivers often experience emotional stress, financial pressure, and time constraints. Many also hesitate to share their caregiving responsibilities due to fear of career impact, which makes employer empathy and support essential.
5. How does supporting caregivers benefit employers?
Supporting caregivers improves employee retention, job satisfaction, and loyalty. Caregiver-friendly policies also reduce absenteeism, increase engagement, and help build a stronger, more resilient workforce.
6. What role do managers play in supporting caregivers?
Managers play a key role by offering flexible arrangements, encouraging open communication, and showing empathy. When leaders support caregivers, employees feel safer discussing their needs and staying productive.
7. What are employee resource groups for caregivers?
Employee resource groups (ERGs) for caregivers are workplace communities that provide shared support, information, and access to caregiving resources such as childcare, eldercare, and wellness programs.
8. How can companies improve mental health support for caregivers?
Companies can improve mental health support by offering counseling services, wellness programs, EAPs, and access to virtual healthcare. Encouraging time off and promoting work-life balance also helps caregivers maintain well-being.
9. Are caregiver-friendly policies becoming more important?
Yes. With an aging population and rising caregiving responsibilities, caregiver-friendly workplace policies are becoming essential for attracting talent, improving diversity, and maintaining long-term employee satisfaction.
10. What is the future of caregiver support in the workplace?
The future includes more flexible work models, expanded paid leave, virtual health services, and inclusive policies. Organizations that invest in caregiver support today will be better prepared for tomorrow’s workforce challenges.
