Balancing Work and Caregiving Responsibilities

As the U.S. population ages, the number of employees who must balance work with informal caregiving is also on the rise. This trend could have health and productivity implications for employers given that caregivers experience more stress, physical and emotional strain, which in turn contributes to more absences and work performance impairments. To help employers recognize how caregiving impacts employees’ abilities to contribute on the job—and make informed decisions when considering the value of caregiver benefits—IBI analyzed two nationally representative surveys focusing on caregiving activities, stress, work impacts, and work policies. The main research questions were:

1. How widespread is caregiving in the workforce, and who provides care?
2. How does caregiving affect stress and in turn, work outcomes?
3. How do work policies mitigate the burden of caregiving?

Download Report