Supporting the Mental Health of Caregivers in the Workplace
Caring for a loved one can be rewarding and challenging at the same time, especially when balancing work and other life responsibilities. In fact, more than one in three working caregivers reported balancing caregiving with their jobs was their biggest source of stress.1,2
Of the 53 million caregivers in the U.S., at least 8.4 million people provide care to an adult with a mental health concern.3,4 Additionally, nearly a quarter of adults have both a parent and a child they support in some way, contributing to significantly more financial and emotional stress for this “sandwich generation.”5 This guide provides suggestions on how to support caregivers in the workplace as company leadership.
Who is a Caregiver?
A caregiver is anyone who provides support to a family member or loved one – including children of any age, parents, siblings, partners, family members, and friends. Support can include bringing a person to their medical appointments, taking care of household chores, or financially supporting someone who cannot support themselves.
Signs of Caregiver Stress
It’s not uncommon to overlook your own needs when focused on someone else’s. As a caregiver, you may be so preoccupied by your loved one’s care that you miss signs of stress affecting your own health and well- being. In fact, 47% of caregivers have experienced increased anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns in the past year.6
Signs of Caregiver Stress Include:
- Worrying all the time
- Feeling unusually sad
- Becoming easily annoyed or angry
- Losing interest in activities
- Feeling tired often
- Sleeping too much or not enough
- Having frequent health problems Misusing alcohol or drugs
- Neglecting your own health & well-being”
Establishing caregiving benefits can have an estimated return on investment of as much as 72% by reducing turnover rates, presenteeism, and absenteeism.7
How Can You Support Caregivers in the Workplace?
- Use employee surveys and data to recognize the scope of your organization’s needs. 52% of organizations do not keep track of their caregiver demographics.8 Tracking this data can help you better understand the needs of your employees.
- Tackle stigma. Employees may be hesitant to open up about their caregiving responsibilities out of concern for potentially losing confidence of colleagues. That’s why fewer than half of workers have communicated about their caregiving responsibilities with their managers.9
- Start employee support or employee resource groups (ERGs). ERGs can give working caregivers a safe space to talk about their experiences and share more about their needs. Senior leadership and executives can also reduce stigma by being vulnerable about their own experiences as caregivers.
- Think inclusion. Make sure your organizational culture is inclusive to caregivers. Provide clear guidance on expectations around answering calls and emails outside of work hours. If your organization hosts social gatherings, schedule them during the workday. Train managers to recognize the challenges faced by caregivers and provide fair opportunities for all for professional growth.10
- Offer benefits that support caregivers. Caregivers consistently ranked flexible work schedules and work-from-home options as some of the most helpful benefits an organization can offer.11, 12, 13 Other helpful benefits include Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and providing paid or unpaid family leave.
You provide support to all of your employees when you support caregivers in the workplace. By understanding and supporting their unique challenges, you create a workplace where everyone can thrive.
Remember, when you invest in your employees’ well-being, you’re not just improving their lives—you’re strengthening your entire organization.
If you find yourself struggling with your mental health, remember that you are not alone. NAMI has a HelpLine you can call or text if you want help finding or understanding resources for yourself or a loved one. You can also call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to be connected with a trained counselor who will offer compassionate and accessible support, resources and referrals to community care.
CITATIONS
- Harrington, E., McInturff, B. (September 2021). Working While Caring: A National Survey of Caregiver Stress in the U.S. Workforce Key Findings. Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. https://rosalynncarter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/210140-RCI-National-Surveys-Executive- Summary -Update-9.22.21.pdf
- Cobbe, T., Mumford, D. et al. (May 2024). Working while caregiving: It’s complicated. S&P Global. https://www.spglobal.com/content/dam/spglobal/global-assets/en/special- reports/Workingwhilecaregiving_Itscomplicated.pdf
- AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving. (May 2020). Caregiving in the United States 2020. AARP. https://doi.org/10.26419/ppi.00103.001
- Mental Health America, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Alliance on Mental Health. (February 2016). On Pins and Needles: Caregivers of adults with mental illness. National Alliance for Caregiving. https://www.caregiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NAC_Mental_Illness_Study _2016_FINAL_WEB.pdf
- Office of the Surgron General. (August 2024). Parents under pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/parents/index.html
- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. (2023). Guardian 12th Annual Workplace Benefits Study: Standing Up and Stepping In. Guardian. https://www.guardianlife.com/reports/caregiving-in-america
- Fuller, J. (January 2024). Healthy Outcomes. Harvard Business School.
- Fuller, J., and Raman, M., (December 2019). The Caring Company. Harvard Business School.
- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. (2023). Guardian 12th Annual Workplace Benefits Study: Standing Up and Stepping In. Guardian. https://www.guardianlife.com/reports/caregiving-in-america
- Office of the Surgron General. (August 2024). Parents under pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/parents/index.html
- Cobbe, T., Mumford, D. et al. (May 2024). Working while caregiving: It’s complicated. S&P Global.
- Fuller, J., and Raman, M., (December 2019). The Caring Company. Harvard Business School.
- Harrington, E., McInturff, B. (September 2021). Working While Caring: A National Survey of Caregiver Stress in the U.S. Workforce Key Findings. Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. https://rosalynncarter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/210140-RCI-National-SurveysExecutive-Summary-Update-9.22.21.pdf