In today’s workplace, business leaders need to recognize the need to support a vital workforce segment: employee caregivers.

• Roughly 30 percent of family caregivers of older Americans live in a household that includes children or grandchildren. They are increasingly likely to be working while performing their caregiving responsibilities.

• Sixty-one percent of family caregivers of adults work either full- or part-time. They face financial risks such as lost income and reduced career opportunities that may mean a future built on lower savings and reduced Social Security benefits.

• Direct-care workforce shortages can lead to more hours of care and higher-intensity care by family caregivers. Retaining workers in a field with high turnover and providing sufficient pay and training are challenging.

These employees, who balance professional responsibilities with caring for aging family members, embody the essence of what we call ‘Intergenerational Connections.’ This term encapsulates the collaborative spirit that spans generations and signifies the strategic partnerships between businesses, their employee caregivers, and aging-in-place organizations.

By fostering and supporting these connections, businesses are champions of their employees’ well-being and align with community-oriented values, creating a relationship that enhances the social fabric and reinforces their operational resilience.

There are mutual benefits that such support systems generate for businesses, employees, aging-in-place organizations, and the broader community they serve.

The Caregiver Workforce: Understanding the Needs and Supporting Connection

Within today’s workforce, a silent yet significant group of employees has been emerging and will continue to grow in number—those who shoulder the additional role of caregiving for aging relatives. 

These caregivers embody the intergenerational connection between their professional lives and caring for senior loved ones, while some also support their children. The intergenerational connection between caregiving employees, businesses, families, and their communities shows how businesses can be the nexus of care for the broad community and society.

From the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Invisible Overtime: What Employers Need to Know About Caregivers, as of 2022, one in five employees serves as an unpaid caregiver for a loved one who is aging, ill, or disabled. 

• Caregiving employees comprise a large portion of the US workforce: An estimated 18 to 22% of the US labor force comprises family caregivers.

• Maintaining caregiving and work responsibilities is challenging: Caregiver employees provide an average of 20 unpaid hours per week.

• Attrition rates are directly related to employees’ caregiving responsibilities: Close to one-third of caregiver employees have voluntarily left a job at some point during their careers because of their caregiving responsibilities. Workplace and public policies designed to support caregiver employees are not widespread, and evidence of their effects is needed. 

• Supporting caregiver employees is good for the bottom line: The estimated average productivity loss due to absenteeism per caregiver employee was almost 11%, and the average annualized at-work productivity cost was $5,281, assuming an hourly wage of $25. Caregiver employees missed an average of 3.2 workdays in the prior month, an estimated average productivity loss of 2.2%, or $1,123 per caregiver employee.  

By championing policies recognizing and supporting the caregiver workforce, businesses invest in a culture that acknowledges and appreciates the intergenerational connections that bind us.

They are also creating a workplace that is more productive and better for their bottom line but also more human, connected, and fundamentally more resilient.

Supporting Connections Through Creative Programs in the Workplace

Creating supportive programs in the workplace is not just a matter of policy—it’s about building a culture that acknowledges and addresses the unique challenges employee caregivers and their loved ones face. Supportive programs can cultivate the interconnectedness of employees — their professional lives, home lives, and communities where they live.

From flexible work schedules to specialized resources tailored to caregivers’ needs, these programs signal a company’s commitment to its workforce’s well-being—the healthier a workforce, the healthier loved ones age, the healthier a community, and the healthier the business.

Partner with Programs — When businesses collaborate with local aging-in-place nonprofits, they bridge the gap between the workplace and the home, directly supporting their employees’ caregiving needs and fostering community engagement.

Connecting seniors with assistance to help employees while at work by partnering with local aging-in-place non-profits promotes intergenerational family, business, and community connections. Aging-in-place organizations provide programs from meals-on-wheels, dining programs, social connections, health and well-being programs, home modification, and more.

This kind of partnership enriches the lives of working caregivers and the seniors they love, bridging gaps in families and communities.

Provide resources — Support someone caring for an aging loved one or one with a long-term condition with training and local resources. “Caregivers do not have all the knowledge about (aging or) the condition or the disease of the person they care for, so providing more information can help them with their roles,” says Joana Coelho, senior associate of health solutions for AON in the Europe, Middle East, and Asia region.

Giving employee caregivers the necessary knowledge and resources empowers them to provide better care. Better care for employees and better care for seniors as home strengthens relationships within families, communities, and between young and old.

Telemedicine and virtual technology — Give employee caregivers the benefit of access to networks of experts such as nurses or social workers. EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs) can help caregivers navigate healthcare and can do so in virtual settings.

Technology facilitates connections between working caregivers and healthcare professionals and ensures seniors get the best care. Again, this increases familial bonds and healthier communities.

Flexible Schedules and Paid Time Off — Providing flexible schedules and paid time off is crucial in supporting employees with caregiving responsibilities for aging loved ones. Recognizing the unpredictable nature of elder care, businesses that offer adaptable work hours and compassionate leave policies create an environment where employees can attend health emergencies or routine care of family members without the added stress of losing income or job security.

Flexibility acknowledges employees’ varied ages and roles, allows them to care for their senior loved ones, and strengthens the fabric of the family and community. 

Strengthening Community Ties: Businesses Collaborating with Aging-in-Place Organizations

Private-sector businesses are recognized as cornerstones of society support because businesses have unique opportunities to extend their influence beyond the confines of their day-to-day commerce.

There are many opportunities to collaborate with aging-in-place organizations and strengthen community ties by championing the well-being of seniors and their caregivers.

A business partnership and collaboration reflect their commitment to social responsibility (CSR) and support of intergenerational solidarity between their working caregivers, their families, and the greater community.

Businesses can engage with and bolster aging-in-place initiatives:

Join a more significant effort in your area. There may be more considerable volunteer efforts in your area that your business can participate in with volunteers already in place to run an event or donation drive.

Employee volunteerism — Encourage your workers to engage with local aging-in-place non-profits. They can contribute their time and skills with IT knowledge, home repair, class teaching, or lending an ear to foster an intergenerational friendship.

Donating and advocating — Donating money and advocating for your community aging-in-place organization helps them to support seniors who live at home and reduces stress and worry for employee caregivers.

Check-in with the aging-in-place organization in your area and help facilitate collaboration to enrich the lives of employees, seniors, and the community around you. The more intergenerational connections your business can facilitate, the stronger your ties to the community.

The Future of Intergenerational Connections — Aging-in-Place and The Workplace

Reimagining the future of the workplace is a constant. Intergenerational connections encompass a collaborative space where businesses thrive economically and contribute to a society that values the wisdom of its elders and the vitality of its younger members.

Already, businesses have been spending resources on Corporate Social Responsibilities and making a difference for non-profits nationwide. Companies like Johnson & Johnson, Tom’s, Starbucks, Netflix, and Spotify use their vast influence, finances, and employee strength to connect with causes that make a difference, i.e., sustainability, pay equity, inclusion and diversity, and more.

The vital contributions of aging-in-place organizations support the future of aging-in-place. These entities stand as knowledgeable allies, offering crucial support to seniors and the caregivers within our businesses.

It’s here that companies have the opportunity to construct intergenerational connections, creating the support that benefits our senior populations and those employees who dedicate themselves to caregiving roles.

• 77% of adults over 50 prefer to age in place. In 2020, only 1.2 million adults over 65 were residents in a nursing home[1].
• More than half (60%) of Americans age 65 and older lived with their spouse or partner in 2021, while 72% of older men (18 million) and 49% of older women (15 million) lived with their spouses, and 27% (15.2 million) of all older adults lived alone (5.2 million men, 10.1 million women) in 2021. These individuals represent 21% of older men and 33% of older women[2].
• Within the past 20 years, the percentage of older adults living in nursing homes has declined while the percentage of older adults living in traditional housing has increased[3].
• About one in five adults ages 50 to 80 (19%) say they’re very confident in paying for help with household chores, grocery shopping, personal care, and managing finances. Meanwhile, 39% were somewhat confident in paying for the same expenses, and 43% were not confident they could afford these factors[4].
• 92% of older adults surveyed prefer to live out their later years in their current home, while 8% said they would prefer to live in an assisted living facility[5].

With these statistics, the connection between businesses and aging-in-place organizations can become community bedrock. By fostering intergenerational connections, businesses do more than enhance the well-being of their employees and their families; they can lay the groundwork for their community’s future. An inclusive future where the workplace becomes a nurturing place for all ages, celebrating the shared experiences and wisdom that each generation brings to workplaces and communities.

A Final Thought

Businesses seeking to enhance or initiate their corporate social responsibility efforts can actively foster intergenerational connections, recognizing this as a beneficial and essential strategy for an inclusive, vibrant, and kind workplace and community.
Businesses are crucial in supporting aging-in-place initiatives and strengthening the support network for senior citizens and employees who care for them. This commitment lays the foundation for a workplace that values all generations, fostering a community where everyone feels valued and supported regardless of age.

As we continue the path in which businesses are pillars of community support, it is imperative to recognize their influential role in nurturing intergenerational connections.

It’s not just about one organization or locality but a movement where businesses nationwide are urged to discover and collaborate with local aging-in-place organizations, drawing inspiration from models like DSCC.

By doing so, they are champions of a society inclusive of all ages. Please join this vital endeavor, seek out your local aging-in-place organization, and provide care and connection that spans generations.