Workforce Support

The average per-employee cost of caregiving is $1,142 annually, or over $400,000 for the mid-size employer.

MetLife Study, 1997

Being supportive of caregiving employees and providing effective assistance with caregiving has a payback to the employer of 3 to 13 times the cost.

Sloan Foundation / Portland State University Study, 2001

One of the corporate manager's great dilemmas is the recognition that while 20% - 30% of working Americas are family caregivers, they have remained invisible in workplace. They remain "invisible" to protect theirs jobs, their retirement and their essential well-being - at the employer's expense.

Major studies, including those by MetLife, Pfizer, and The Human Resource Institute illuminate the magnitude of the problem.

• At least 20% of the workforce is involved in a problematic caregiving situation at any given time.
• By their own admission, 84% of working caregivers compromise their work schedules to meet caregiving obligations.
• Caregiving workers spend an average of 18 hours per week caring. The demand and stress of caregiving leads to:
• Tardiness, absenteeism and even job loss. 49% of working caregivers will either move from full- to part-time status, quit or retire early because of caregiving responsibilities.
• Presenteeism - at work, but preoccupied by worry and care-related activities.
• Increased healthcare costs for the employer. Almost 75% of caregivers report that caregiving has an impact on their health, and 20% of these say their loss of health is significant.

Compounding the problem: caregiving workers tend to be your most experienced, most responsible employees. They are primarily aged 45 to 64, the great majority are women, and they care about their work, as well as their family. The problem is particularly acute for nurses.