Optimize Business Outcomes with Bold Caregiver Support Strategies

For centuries, if not millennia, caregivers have attended to the needs of family and friends. However, today’s caregivers — who make up nearly one-third (30.6%) of employed adults in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — face a much different reality than those of the past. 

Two new SHRM research reports, Care and Careers: Navigating Caregiving and Work Responsibilities and The Caregiving Imperative: Organizational Solutions for Supporting Caregivers and Elevating Business Performance, dig into the hurdles challenges modern working caregivers, how caregiving significantly impacts a worker’s career, and how supporting caregivers bolsters talent acquisition, employee engagement, and the bottom line. 

Businesses have long relied solely on caregiver support required under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). However, this doesn’t apply to every situation, and SHRM’s research suggests that additional help is needed. Consider that caregivers reported unexpectedly missing 1.2 days of work per month due to insufficient caregiving support, equivalent to an average of $17.5 billion in lost wages every month. This shows that caregiving support isn’t just a nice benefit — it directly impacts a company’s financial success. 

How-To Guide: How to Develop and Administer Paid-Leave Programs

The New Makeup of Today’s Caregivers

Caregiving is still disproportionately the responsibility of women, who account for 61% of U.S. caregivers, according to research from AARP. However, men are more likely to be employed while caregiving than women (67% versus 58%) and, on average, work more hours per week compared with women who are caregivers (38.7 versus 33.5), AARP found. 

However, those being cared for — no matter the gender of the caregiver — have significantly changed as the U.S. population ages. Caregivers are often thought of as parents, but that’s not always the case.

“When we talk about caregiving, it can be easy to default to child care alone,” said Kerri Nelson, Ph.D., a researcher on SHRM’s Thought Leadership team. “However, the type of care that workers are providing to loved ones is quite varied.”  

"...Caregiving can often be stressful and lonely. There’s a need to provide long-term solutions.” — Kerri Nelson, Ph.D. 

The number of Americans ages 65 and older grew nearly five times faster than the total population between 1920-2020, per the 2020 Census, and that growth isn’t slowing down. In 2030, the U.S. Census Bureau projects, more than 1 in 5 Americans will be part of this demographic.

As such, nearly 1 in 4 (23%) caregivers surveyed by SHRM have dual or multiple caregiving roles, and many are now part of the “sandwich generation” — that is, those caring for both children and elders. However, it’s no longer just children, parents, or grandparents they’re providing care to; they’re also caring for friends, neighbors, siblings, spouses/partners, grandchildren, and nieces/nephews. 

“Of the workers with caregiving responsibilities we surveyed, 36% said they are providing care exclusively for a child or children,” Nelson said. “But we also found that 17% are providing care exclusively for an adult or adults with a disability or health impediment, 24% are providing care exclusively for an elder or elders, and 23% are managing multiple caregiving roles.”

Toolkit: Managing Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)

These responsibilities profoundly affect caregivers’ careers: 54% of survey respondents who have career gaps cited caregiving as a reason, 42% said caregiving has hindered their career advancement, and 23% of those in manager roles reported being treated poorly in the workplace due to their caregiving responsibilities. 

“Roughly 1 in 2 workers with caregiving responsibilities do not share their responsibilities with anyone else on a consistent basis. This means caregiving can often be stressful and lonely,” Nelson said. “There’s a need to provide long-term solutions.” 

Supporting Caregivers: A Business Imperative

It’s critical that organizations understand and implement what working caregivers actually need to succeed. The vast majority (80%) of employees who provide care said these responsibilities are long-term, yet just 35% of HR professionals surveyed believe their company is effective in addressing these enduring needs. Here’s what HR needs to do to combat this: 

• Offer crucial resources these employees need to thrive — and make sure they know they exist. Nearly half (49%) of HR professionals said that family caregiving benefits aren’t used because workers don’t know about them, per SHRM’s research. At the same time, more than half (51%) of working caregivers surveyed said they’re not fully aware of these benefits. To ensure caregiving benefits are being used, HR should take active steps such as hosting webinars or informational sessions to educate employees. 

• Regularly review those resources. Only 1 in 4 employers said they routinely evaluate their policies and resources that impact caregivers. However, those that do see benefits when it comes to employee engagement, Nelson said. “Routine evaluation allows employers to keep a pulse on what’s happening,” she explained. “That proactive approach allows employers to get ahead of those challenges they might face down the line.” 

• Foster an office culture that empowers employees to take advantage of available resources. Not only did 35% of working caregivers report feeling uncomfortable with seeking out employer resources, but more than 2 in 5 said they were concerned about potential risks in using the benefits. These risks include jeopardizing their chances of promotion, burdening their team, or being trusted with fewer job responsibilities.  

• Ensure people managers understand the importance of and opportunities to support caregivers. When struggling, employees often turn to their managers rather than HR. Organizations should confirm that these supervisors know what resources are offered and how they can guide their employees to find and use them. When people managers are effective in this, organizations are more likely to rate employee retention as good or very good. 

Template: Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy

Prioritizing Caregiver Support for Organizational Success

Supporting working caregivers isn’t just a moral responsibility; it’s a strategic business imperative that boosts employee well-being and organizational performance. By providing long-term resources, strategically developing and reviewing policies, fostering an inclusive culture, and equipping managers to assist caregivers, companies can create workplaces where both employees and businesses thrive.