Why Employers Should Pay Attention Now
In its Top Five Workplace Policy Issues for 2026, SHRM identified that caregiving is a top workplace issue, not just a personal challenge, but a measurable business issue.¹
With limited public care infrastructure and a growing multi-generational workforce, employers are increasingly absorbing the downstream impact of caregiving strain. The data reinforces why this issue can no longer be viewed as peripheral.
The Productivity Impact Is Real — and Often Invisible
A nationally representative study published in Value in Health found that nearly 1 in 4 employed caregivers (23.3%) experienced caregiving-related productivity loss in a single month.²
Among those affected, caregiving reduced work productivity by roughly one-third, equating to approximately $5,600 per employed caregiver annually, largely driven by presenteeism (reduced performance while at work) rather than absenteeism.²
This distinction matters. While leave usage is visible and trackable, presenteeism is harder to measure, yet it represents the majority of lost productivity. The study estimates the aggregate national cost of caregiving-related productivity loss at nearly $49 billion annually.²
For employers, caregiving is not simply about time away from work, it is about sustained cognitive load, distraction, and burnout.
Special Needs and Long-Term Caregivers Face Intensified Strain
Recent research conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of New York Life Group Benefit Solutions highlights the particular burden on employees caring for dependents with lifelong or complex needs.³
Among employed special needs caregivers:
- 47% report managing behavioral or mental health crises
- 38% cite ongoing planning responsibilities (legal, housing, financial)
- 33% experience medical crises
- 75% say caregiving has affected their career advancement
- 63% report feeling stigma in the workplace
- 84% report feeling burned out at least some of the time³
More than half (54%) report struggling to pay essential expenses in the past year due to caregiving demands.³
These pressures disproportionately affect women, older workers, and lower-income households, amplifying equity and retention concerns.
Why Caregiving Is a Top Workplace Issue
Caregiving intersects with multiple employer priorities:
- Retention and talent shortages: Employees reducing hours, turning down promotions, or exiting early.
- Leave and compliance complexity: Fragmented state leave laws add administrative burden.
- Health and well-being strategy: Caregiver stress correlates with burnout and mental health claims.
- Workforce stability: Presenteeism impacts team performance and customer experience.
As SHRM notes, the future of caregiving is tightly linked to workforce resilience.¹ Employers who proactively address caregiver strain are better positioned to manage risk, reduce turnover, and support long-term engagement.
What Employers Are Evaluating
Forward-looking organizations are moving beyond episodic benefits toward more integrated support models that include:
- Care navigation to help employees coordinate providers and services
- Behavioral health access and crisis support
- Flexible work policies aligned to caregiving realities
- Long-term planning resources (legal, financial, guardianship guidance)
- Clear communication channels that reduce stigma and encourage self-identification
Caregiving is a top workplace issue, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all issue. It spans elder care, chronic conditions, neurodivergence, and special needs, often simultaneously. As workforce pressures intensify, employers are looking for solutions that go beyond episodic support to address sustained caregiver strain and measurable productivity impact.
Kapnick is proud to bring innovative solutions, including partners like Mellie, to help employers strengthen workforce stability, reduce caregiver-driven productivity loss, and complement existing benefit programs. As organizations prepare for 2026 and beyond, caregiving support is increasingly central to retention, resilience, and long-term talent strategy.
Request a complimentary caregiving financial impact analysis HERE.
References
- SHRM. Top Five Workplace Policy Issues for 2026. Society for Human Resource Management, 2026.
- Keita Fakeye MB, Samuel LJ, Drabo EF, Bandeen-Roche K, Wolff JL. Caregiving-Related Work Productivity Loss among Employed Family and Other Unpaid Caregivers of Older Adults. Value in Health. 2023;26(5):712–720.
- New York Life Group Benefit Solutions. The Hidden Challenges of Special Needs Caregivers. Research conducted by Morning Consult, September 2025.
