Transformative forces are reshaping the world of work, from AI to return-to-office requirements. But there’s another significant shift taking place that doesn’t always garner the splashy headlines: a mounting caregiving crisis.
The demographic numbers are straightforward but dramatic. By 2030, all Baby Boomers will be 65 or older, creating the largest senior population in U.S. history. As a result, increasing numbers of employees are caring for aging parents, often while balancing child care.
What does this demographic shift—nicknamed the “silver tsunami”—mean for your organization?
Consider this: by 2050, America’s 65+ population will reach 82 million—a nearly 50% increase from today. As more of the workforce juggles care and careers, employers have an opportunity to provide support that makes a difference for their employees—and for their businesses.
The business impact of an aging population
In 1960, there were 18 million adults over age 65 in the U.S.
Today, thanks to advances in healthcare and longer lifespans, the total has grown to more than 59 million.
On top of that, the number of people aged 85 or older is projected to double between 2020 and 2040. Behind the numbers, the caregiving needs of an aging population are significantly changing societal expectations, family dynamics, and workforce needs.
For employers, the ripple effects of senior caregiving responsibilities are already visible:
Productivity
Daily productivity takes a hit as team members struggle to focus while coordinating care for aging parents, managing doctor’s appointments and consultations, and responding to unexpected medical emergencies that pull them away from tasks and deadlines.
Presenteeism and absenteeism
Employee caregivers take time off to cover caregiving gaps and manage health care. The demands are amplified for “sandwich generation” employees with both child care and senior care responsibilities. Even when employees are at work, they can be distracted by caregiving tasks, leading to increased stress, errors, and reduced engagement.
Turnover
Caregiving pressures can put employees in a position of choosing between family responsibilities and their careers. The choice may lead to becoming a full-time caregiver, shifting to part-time work to devote more time to caregiving, or switching to a full-time job with more care benefits. Our research finds that 1 in 5 employees have left a job because their employer didn’t offer family care benefits, and 21% of employees say they would switch jobs to gain access to senior care benefits.
Supporting caregivers, strengthening organizations
The good news? Organizations can make a real difference for employee caregivers—and see positive impacts on employee productivity, engagement, and retention. Through thoughtfully designed family care benefits, companies can help employees manage caregiving responsibilities across the spectrum, from child care to senior care.
Consider these 7 key initiatives to help your organization move the needle on workforce metrics:
Access to caregiving resources
Finding reliable care is often an employee’s first challenge. Offering access to a network of trustworthy options, including in-home caregivers, adult care centers, and senior care resources, takes the pressure off the employee by giving them a place to start their search.
Choose a care benefits partner that offers a user-friendly online platform to further simplify the process by helping employees find and coordinate care services all in one place. Saving employees time and reducing stress can also help boost your organization’s productivity, engagement, and overall satisfaction rates.
Backup care
Even the best care arrangements can fall through. Whether it’s a caregiver who’s out sick or on a planned vacation, providing backup care benefits helps employees feel supported. Knowing there’s a go-to option in place to solve unexpected care needs alleviates stress and enables workers to pivot when they need to, without missing work.
Expert guidance for senior care
Many families are unprepared for the evolving challenges of senior care. Providing employees with access to eldercare specialists as part of their benefits can make a significant difference. These experts help employees assess their needs, understand what to expect, and connect with local caregiving options. With deep experience in issues like Alzheimer’s diagnoses and transitioning a parent to assisted living or memory care, senior care specialists offer invaluable guidance during difficult times.
Along with senior care guidance, care specialists can help with a wide range of care resources, from finding a spot to host a birthday party to navigating disaster relief resources. Access to caregiving experts makes a measurable impact. Research conducted by the Harvard Business School found that when employers offer benefits that help connect caregivers to planning, administrative, and support services, absenteeism rates are reduced by up to 50%.
Caregiving flexibility
Caregiving responsibilities rarely fit neatly into an employee’s off-work hours. Creating a caregiver-friendly workplace culture includes providing schedule flexibility when possible. This way, employees can flex their days to accommodate medical appointments and care coordination while keeping their work on track.
An increasing number of employers offer paid caregiver leave for employees outside of PTO days or FMLA. 25% of employers have a paid caregiver leave policy in place today, and another 22% are considering adding caregiver leave in the next two years.
Financial support for caregivers
Financial stress is a factor in most caregiving situations. The reality is caregivers struggling to pay for care are more likely to show signs of stress, reduce working hours, or quit their jobs entirely. Care spending accounts are another way employers can support caregivers. Dedicated to caregiving expenses, these accounts give employees a financial resource. Employers can design the benefit to fit their workforce’s specific needs by choosing the amount to contribute, determining the employee segments who have access, and defining the types of expenses that are covered.
Manager engagement
Building a caregiver-friendly workplace starts with equipping managers to take action. Train frontline leaders to recognize signs of caregiver stress, proactively connect employees with available care benefits, and foster a culture of support. When managers actively guide their teams to the right resources, employees feel understood, valued, and empowered to balance work and caregiving.
Caregiver support
Caregiving is rewarding—and highly stressful. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 60% of caregivers experience symptoms of burnout. Along with caregiving resources, care benefits should include support for the caregivers themselves. This can include employee wellness benefits, mental health benefits, and discounts for self-care. Organizations can also provide support through employee resource groups (ERGs) focused on specific topics, such as adult caregivers, caring for parents with Alzheimer’s, or balancing senior care and child care.
The silver tsunami is here
Providing care resources tailored to support senior caregiving for family members as they age is a powerful way to demonstrate employee care. It’s also an important forward-looking business strategy that aligns with your company’s engagement, productivity, and retention objectives. To learn more about senior care benefit solutions, request a meeting with the Care for Business team today.
