The proportion of full-time working People who additionally handle caregiving tasks has risen sharply lately, posing difficulties for workers that require assist from employers, based on a Nov. 19 report from The Guardian Life Insurance coverage Firm of America.
Practically half (43%) of full-time staff juggle caregiving duties for a liked one, representing a 13% improve from 2019, based on the report.
“With almost half of full-time staff additionally taking up caregiving roles, as we speak’s workforce continues to endure a profound transformation that may solely speed up within the years forward,” Stacey Hoin, CHRO at Guardian, mentioned in an announcement. “Given the influence of caregiving on an worker’s psychological, bodily and monetary wellness, it’s important that we provide assist that addresses these interconnected wants.”
Most working caregivers are struggling to juggle their caregiving to-do record alongside their work to-do record, based on an Atlassian survey. This leads a majority of caregivers to make use of their break day to make amends for work, and placing this stability has had a unfavorable influence on their profession, the report discovered.
Within the Guardian survey, caregiving seems to be distinguished throughout generations, with 25% of child boomers, 39% of Technology X staff, 51% of millennials and 38% of Technology Z reporting caregiver tasks.
Girls, specifically, are taking up caregiving duties full time. In 2023, 56% of full-time staff who had been additionally caregivers had been girls, and 44% had been males, based on a earlier Guardian report. In 2025, 57% of full-time working caregivers had been males whereas 43% had been girls, indicating that ladies are leaving full-time work to take care of others.
Full-time working caregivers reported psychological well being challenges, with solely 36% saying they’ve “superb” psychological well being. Caregivers are 55% extra more likely to battle with substance use challenges and 48% extra more likely to expertise elevated nervousness and melancholy. Amongst caregivers who took a paid depart of absence from work, 37% mentioned it was as a result of psychological well being.
Practically half of caregivers who lacked sources at work reported low general well-being, the report discovered. In distinction, caregivers with entry to related assist at work reported much less stress and higher psychological well being and well-being.
Guardian urged serving to caregivers by offering psychological well being and caregiving wellness companies, versatile schedules, equitable paid depart advantages and worker help applications. These sources can cut back the necessity for workers to take depart, in addition to enhance engagement, retention and general efficiency, the report discovered.
The rising pressure on caregivers has elevated the necessity for caregiving advantages, particularly for the “sandwich technology” caring for each kids and older adults, specialists instructed HR Dive. HR leaders can supply particular paid depart, flexibility and supportive work environments, they mentioned.
Employers with out paid caregiving depart danger dropping expertise, based on a Prudential report. Firms can deal with issues and cut back limitations by listening to workers, explaining advantages clearly and consulting with brokers to deal with wants based mostly on state legal guidelines, the agency mentioned.
