Addressing the caregiver crisis in the workforce

Even the most well-intended caregiver programs will not be successful if they are created using assumptions rather than real employee feedback and data.(Photo: Shutterstock)

According to a recent report from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, more than 43 million individuals in the U.S. served as caregivers to an adult or child in the previous 12 months. This number will likely continue to grow as more adults age into the “sandwich generation”–those taking care of both aging parents and children simultaneously – and so will the economic value of their services, which was valued at $470 billion in 2013.

Caregivers, on average, devote more than 24 hours a week to providing this unpaid care, and the worry and stress that go along with being a caregiver make it increasingly difficult to remain focused and productive at work. It’s becoming a workplace crisis, which is why employers are taking action to support caregivers and ease employee stress by offering personalized, unique benefits that employees need.