It’s the start of what should be a seemingly normal week for a working mom. The kids have some afterschool activities, there’s a big presentation at work that she’s been working hard to prepare for, and there’s a neighborhood party that weekend that should be fun. Then she gets a call on Monday afternoon from her son’s school saying he is beginning to pick fights and he is now suspended. That night she gets an urgent call from the hospital that her out-of-state mom fell and was rushed to the ER. Suddenly, that work presentation, and anything else, drop in priority.
This scenario, and many others like it, is common for parents or caregivers who can likely list out multiple situations that arise in any given week that they may not have been prepared for. For the millions of Americans caring for their families, loved ones and friends, it can be challenging to balance these caregiving responsibilities alongside work. In fact, the average caregiver spends over 24 hours per week on tasks, with some spending up to 40 hours.
The reality is: these employee caregivers are struggling because not only are they dealing with day-to-day responsibilities, but they also have to balance unexpected care when it arises. And they’re doing it alone. They’re experiencing a caregiving crisis.
When they’re unsupported in their caregiving journey, employees feel it from all sides of life, including:
The Status Quo
One of the common ways caregivers see their responsibilities is: “That’s just what I have to do.” Oftentimes they’ll stay in crisis because they believe it’s normal or something they have to endure. They won’t speak up about their struggles or ask for help because they don’t know what they’re going through can be something they can ask help for.
Rising Healthcare Costs
Healthcare costs are predicted to rise again in 2023, and with upcoming changes to essential services like Medicare, caregivers have it pretty tough when navigating the healthcare system. Health insurance coverage looks different for every American, and since finding a provider can depend on location, coverage or time, it’s getting more difficult for caregivers to find their loved ones essential care.
A Caregiver’s Health
Piling on to this growing crisis, research suggests that caregiving is now considered a social determinant of health because it can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of both the caregiver and the person receiving care. Social determinants of health refer to the social, economic and environmental factors that influence health outcomes. A few of those factors include chronic stress, social isolation, financial insecurity and developmental impairment, and because of their status as caregivers, employees are more likely to experience them.
In the Workforce
The effects of caregiving are also significantly affecting employee caregivers’ professional lives and careers. Struggling caregivers fail to meet performance expectations and put in fewer hours to accomplish their tasks. Some employees are even leaving the workforce in order to care for a loved one. This translates to leaders having less time to build cross-functional relationships and has a negative impact on how other employees view their contribution and success at work.
When there are so many avenues, services and providers to consider for a loved one, it’s easy for an unsupported caregiver’s roadmap to look windy and uncertain. The missing link for employees is dedicated caregiver support. With so many employees navigating emotional and overwhelming caregiving situations, employers can offer options that provide expert, personalized support in the moments they need, leaving a lasting impression on employees.
With a caregiver support solution, employers see the impact in these six ways:
- Improved employee engagement
- Increased productivity
- Increased employee retention
- Enhanced employee morale
- Reduced healthcare costs
- Better recruitment
As employers are evaluating their priorities in 2023, caregivers must be an employee population group that receives support. Offering solutions to employee caregivers that empower them to be more present in everyday life is critical to an inclusive and effective benefit offering.
At Cariloop, we help caregivers save an average of 73 hours of caregiving responsibilities, which maximizes the employers’ return on investment by keeping employees balanced in their work and home lives. As a full-service benefit helping employees navigate the caregiving crisis, our licensed and certified Care Coaches provide care and support to any and all needs employees may have during their caregiving journey.
Every employee deserves access to caregiver support during the caregiving crisis. To learn more about how a Cariloop Care Coach can help you or your employee base, reach out to us at any time.
