You Have Employees That Are Caregivers: Here’s What It Means for Your Workplace

She's leading the team check-in, camera on, virtual background up, and smile steady, while mouthing "I'll be right there" to a loved one just outside the frame. Sound familiar?

Let's be real: work-life balance has always been a bit of a unicorn. Balance looks different for each of us, and even for one person it can shift and evolve over time. But for employees who double as caregivers — especially those caring for aging parents or loved ones — that balance isn't just elusive, it's exhausting. Work and life aren't always neatly divided. More often, they're intertwined in ways that are complex and challenging.

The Work-Life Balance of Caregivers

As HR professionals, team leads, and just humans who care about our coworkers, it's time we recognize caregiving for what it is: another job that many people are doing in addition to the one we hired them for.

And here's the thing: most of them aren't talking about it. They're quietly rescheduling meetings to make doctor's appointments, slipping out early to manage medication mishaps, and somehow showing up with smiles on their faces even when they're running on fumes. I have no doubt this message strikes a chord for you, or you just pictured someone on your team that you're rooting to succeed. So let's talk about it. Let's make caregiving a part of the employee experience and not a career-ending confession.

The Quiet Reality: Your Workplace Is Full of Caregivers

If you look around your office, or your virtual gallery on Zoom or Teams, chances are that 1 in 5 of your coworkers is providing regular care for an aging loved one. According to Harvard Business School's Managing the Future of Work project, 73% of people report having some type of current caregiving responsibility. That number is only going up.

A few numbers that may surprise you:

• Over 53 million Americans are unpaid caregivers
• 61% of these caregivers also hold full-time jobs
• They're spending an average of 24 hours a week caregiving on top of their paid work
• 1 in 3 have left a job or scaled back hours because of caregiving duties

Let that sink in. A third of our workforce is burning the candle at both ends, and many are quietly choosing between their job and their family. That's a choice no one should have to make.

And what's even worse is that many believe choosing their family means losing credibility, promotions, or even their job — without ever having the conversation. This could be one of your top performers right now. The person who always delivers, who keeps the team afloat, who says "yes" even when they already have a date with their computer at 11PM after putting their loved ones to bed. Not because they're fine, but because they're afraid to be honest. Unless we create cultures where care isn't hidden but honored, where asking for support is a sign of trust and not weakness, we risk losing them.

How Caregiving Shows Up at Work

Sometimes caregiving is obvious: your employee's mom is in the hospital and they're open about needing time off. But more often, it's subtle: frequent early log-offs, mental fog, stress-related sick days, and turned-down promotions they didn't feel they could handle.

Here's what the data tells us:

• Working caregivers commonly experience significant work-related difficulties, from distraction and presenteeism to outright absenteeism
• According to a 2023 peer-reviewed study published in Value in Health, caregiving-related productivity loss costs U.S. employers approximately $49 billion annually
• Nearly half of caregivers report symptoms of depression and anxiety

Now imagine these stats apply to someone on your team. Maybe it's the person who always turns in great work, but lately seems stretched thin. Maybe it's the one who never takes PTO unless there's a family "emergency." Odds are, you already know a caregiver. You just may not know they're a caregiver.

What We Can Do as Employers (and Humans)

No one took their job because they were pumped about paperwork. Most of us are here because we care about people or are driven by a mutual mission. We want to build workplaces where people can grow, thrive, and feel like they matter.

I love helping someone lean into what excites them and what they're genuinely curious about, and helping them pursue that no matter what may be going on in their personal or professional lives. Watching people grow into themselves, on their own terms? That's the good stuff. And I truly believe that when people feel supported in what matters most to them, they show up with more energy, effort, and ability to execute.

That includes the messy, meaningful parts of life that don't fit on a résumé, like caregiving. When we pretend those responsibilities don't exist, we force people to choose between being a good employee and being there for the people they love. When we make space for it, we create something better: a workplace where people can bring their whole selves.

If you need a starting point, SHRM is a great resource, whether you're just beginning to assess your caregiving support or looking to improve it for your employees.

Practical shifts that make a real difference

• Flexible hours. Trust people to manage their time. Many already are.
• Normalize the conversation. Let employees know it's okay to talk about caregiving. Offer listening ears, not just policies.
• Offer caregiver benefits. A monthly stipend, access to professional care planning, or a few extra PTO days for caregiving can make a significant difference.
• Invest in tools. Technology that reduces the mental load of caregiving can help employees stay present at work. More on that below.
• And never underestimate the power of a simple "Hey, how are you holding up?" when someone looks like they've just run a marathon, reheated their coffee three times, and lived a full day before 9AM.

Why It Matters to the Business (Besides Just Being Good Humans)

I know, we've all got budgets to justify. So here's the ROI on caregiving support:

• SHRM estimates that replacing an employee costs between 50% and 200% of their annual salary when recruiting, onboarding, and lost productivity are factored in
• Companies with supportive caregiving policies consistently see higher retention, better morale, and lower healthcare costs
• Care-related issues are the single most common reason employees leave the workforce, according to Harvard Business School

So yes, showing up for caregivers is compassionate. But it's also smart. Pretending life stops at the office door isn't leadership — it's denial.

One Tool That's Helping: Caily

Imagine trying to stay informed about your parent's care, coordinate with siblings about what's happening, and get answers from the nursing staff — all while leading a marketing campaign or managing a sales team through Q4. Sound familiar?

One of the biggest sources of workplace distraction for employee caregivers is the anxiety of not knowing. Not knowing how their loved one is doing today. Not knowing if the care team has everything they need. Not knowing whether they should drop everything and call the facility again.

Caily is a HIPAA-compliant communication platform for senior living communities that directly reduces this anxiety. When a loved one's community uses Caily, employees with parents or family members in senior living receive automated daily care updates — covering meals, rest, activities, and care notes — delivered straight to their phone. They can message the care team directly through a secure channel, without playing phone tag with the nursing station.

The result for employers: employees who spend less time on personal calls during the workday, less mental energy consumed by worry, and more capacity to be present and focused. Supporting your employees doesn't always mean building new programs from scratch. Sometimes it means helping their loved ones' care communities communicate better.

Learn more at Caily.com.

Let's Be the Workplace People Don't Want to Leave

If we want to build workplaces that people can grow in, not just survive, we have to care about their whole lives. That includes the moments they're not in the office or the Zoom room.

Let's build the kind of workplace where people can say with confidence: "I don't have to choose between my job and the people I love." Because in the end, that's what support really looks like.

FAQs About Caregiving at Work

How common is it for employees to be caregivers?

Very. According to Harvard Business School, 73% of U.S. employees report having some type of caregiving responsibility, and nearly 1 in 5 full-time workers are caring for an aging or ill loved one.

Are most caregivers women?

While anyone can be a caregiver, 61% of caregivers are women, and many are mid-career professionals balancing caregiving and career growth simultaneously.

Can caregiving affect mental health?

Yes. Caregivers experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout, especially when they feel they have to hide their situation at work.

What is one thing I can do today to help?

Start the conversation. Let your team know you see them, you support them, and you're open to helping make it easier — during work hours and after.

How does Caily help working caregivers?

When a loved one's senior living community uses Caily, employees receive automated daily care updates and have a secure direct line to the care team. This reduces the anxiety and reactive phone calls that pull working caregivers away from their jobs, helping them stay present and focused at work.