Demographics
- 20-25% of employees are caregivers of elderly relatives, and about 40% of these people are also caring for children under 18 living at home. (These numbers do not count parents caring for children with disabilities or for disabled adult siblings or spouses under 50).
- Gender: 55% of employed caregivers are women/45% are men. Most are married, work full-time, and have a median age of 46.
- The older your workforce and the more females you employ, the higher the incidence of caregiving in your employee population.
Impact on Productivity
- More than half of working caregivers have to make some sort of workplace accomodations to care for someone age 50+, such as:
- 58% Went in late, left early, took time off during work
- 16% took leave of absence
- 10% worked fewer hours, took less demanding job
- 4% lost some job benefits
- 4% turned down a promotion
- 3% chose early retirement
- 6% quit their jobs entirely
In one study of working caregivers who provide intense personal care over a period of years, the caregivers averaged $659,000 in lost wages, pensions, and Social Security.
Impact on Worker Health
- Almost 75% of employed caregivers in another study say that caregiving has had a negative impact on their health, with more than two in ten reporting significant problems.
- Of those reporting a negative impact on health, nearly half cited additional visits to a health care provider.
- Employed caregivers’ use of prescription drugs is 2-3 times that of non-caregivers.
Impact on Caregivers’ Personal Life
- 35% of caregivers report significant emotional stress; 15% report that caregiving has caused physical strain.
- Caregivers report average out-of-pocket expenditures of $197 for medications, groceries, or other kinds of cash support.
- Half of caregivers report that they have less time for friends or other family and more than four in ten say they have given up vacations, hobbies or their own social life.
How Does This Affect Your Company?
- Total lost productivity for U.S. employers due to caregiving for older relatives: $11.4 to $29 billion per year.
- You have spent considerable dollars training and promoting these working caregivers. The cost of replacing an experienced employee is estimated at 93% of the first year’s salary.
How Do I Recognize an Eldercare Problem? Possible Signs of Eldercare Work/Family Conflicts
- Excessive personal phone use during office hours.
- Tardiness and absenteeism that far exceed company standards.
- Claims for sickness benefits at a much higher than usual rate.
- Serious distraction on the job that is reducing productivity (work isn’t being done properly and sometimes has to be done over by someone else).
- Mood swings and hostility that have fellow employees confused and reluctant to work with the troubled person.
How Can an Employer Help?
- Conduct an employee survey to identify those who are caregivers.
- Offer to put them in touch with a senior home care agency that can assist them or relieve them of their caregiver stress.
- Paid Time Off Programs (PTO): A PTO program can replace traditionally distinct programs (i.e., vacation, sick, and personal days) with a single block of time that gives employees more control over their time. Additionally, PTO programs encourage responsible time management and give employees the flexibility to take time off when they need it – not because they need to “use it or lose it.”
- Telecommuting Arrangements: Helping employees successfully juggle between work and home can help address productivity, loyalty, and retention. Giving employees the flexibility to choose where they work can allow them to be fully in their work without pressure to leave the office at a certain time to fullfill their “life” duties.
- Flexible Schedules: In many industries, a 9-5 schedule is not necessary to keep the business running and customers happy. In these cases, allowing employees to work a schedule that is convenient for them, as long as the work is done on time, is a great way to help employees balance work and life.
- Offer stress-reduction seminars, expanded to include on-site yoga and exercise classes, relaxation techniques, and massage therapy.
- Decision-support systems to reduce stress among caregivers through better information about the best services for themselves and their family members.
- Financial incentives to encourage employees to take advantage of preventive health care benefits offereed by employers – such as reductions on their premiums or deductibles if employees get annual physicals, mammograms, Pap tests, smoking cessation classes, and exercise.
- Expanded on-site medical testing/screenings.
- Stress reduction by providing mediation services for families in conflict.
- A certain number of hours of free legal and financial advice, especially around Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance issues.
- Online support groups for employees who prefer them to on-site groups.
- Health coaching services and/or nurse hotline access.
The percentage of family caregivers in the workplace will only rise over time. All stakeholders need to recognize that supporting working caregivers can reduce their health and productivity burden, not just in their personal lives but in their corporate lives as well.
Source: “When Employees Become Caregivers,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
