Supporting Employees as Caregivers

The Growing Need for Employee Caregiving Support

In today’s workforce, more employees than ever are juggling careers alongside caregiving responsibilities. This trend isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a significant challenge for employers too.

Consider these statistics:

  • Over 53 million adults in the United States provided unpaid care for a loved one in 2020¹.

  • Approximately 1 in 5 employees acts as a caregiver, creating a sizeable impact on the workforce².

  • Caregiving responsibilities take up an average of 24 hours per week—equivalent to three full workdays lost².

For employees, managing a job while caregiving leads to lost productivity, stress, and often, burnout. From absenteeism to reduced engagement, these effects accumulate, impacting the company’s performance and, ultimately, the bottom line.

The Toll of Caregiving on Employee Well-Being and Productivity

Balancing work and caregiving presents clear challenges:

1.    Absenteeism and Presenteeism: Employees frequently need time off to handle caregiving duties, resulting in lost work hours. For those who can’t take time off, “presenteeism” becomes an issue—being at work but unable to fully focus. This issue is substantial, with U.S. businesses losing about $33 billion annually in productivity due to caregiving³.

2.    Stress and Burnout: The stress of managing work alongside caregiving is high. Caregivers are 70% more likely to experience depression, according to the American Psychological Association⁴.

3.    Retention and Talent Drain: For some caregivers, the demands become too much, and they eventually face a choice between work and caregiving. One in three caregivers leaves their job⁵, leading to costly recruitment and training needs for companies.

How Azimuth Healthcare Eases the Caregiving Burden

Azimuth Healthcare understands the complexities and pressures of caregiving. Our services aim to alleviate the logistical and emotional load so employees can stay focused, productive, and at ease.

How We Support Employee Caregivers

1.    Personalized Care Plans: We collaborate with employees to create tailored care plans based on their loved ones’ specific needs. From connecting with the right service providers to covering every detail, we save employees time and effort otherwise spent coordinating care.

2.    Expert Guidance and Hands-On Help: Our Care Navigators (CNs) are experienced professionals who support employees in managing all aspects of caregiving. They handle tasks like arranging doctor visits, securing transportation, and vetting care providers, so employees don’t have to spend work hours coordinating these needs.

3.    Reduced Stress and Improved Well-being: With Azimuth’s support, employees feel less overwhelmed. This improvement in well-being positively impacts their productivity and engagement at work.

Demonstrating the ROI for Employers

Investing in caregiver support services like Azimuth’s benefits both the business and its workforce, delivering measurable results:

  • Increased Productivity and Lower Absenteeism: Employees spend less time coordinating caregiving during work hours, which helps reduce absenteeism. Companies that provide caregiving support see a 20% decrease in absenteeism⁶.

  • Higher Retention Rates: Employees who feel supported by their employer are less likely to leave. This can make a real difference in retention.

  • Stronger Employee Loyalty and Satisfaction: Offering caregiving support shows that a company cares about its employees’ challenges. According to Caregiving in the U.S. 2020, 80% of caregivers would feel more loyal to an employer that offered caregiving support⁷.

Why Choose Azimuth Healthcare?

Azimuth Healthcare provides solutions to employee caregiving challenges with decades of healthcare navigation experience and expertise in managing complex medical cases. We are more than just extra support; we provide expert care coordination, navigation, and advocacy across a wide range of caregiving needs—from chronic conditions to post-acute care.

By offering our services, companies can make a meaningful difference in employees’ lives, relieving them of caregiving logistics and supporting them through the challenges of care. The result? A workforce that feels supported, appreciated, and motivated.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, supporting employees through caregiving challenges is essential—not only for their well-being but for company growth. Reach out to let us know how we can help your employees and help your business thrive.

Sources

1.    https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/ppi/2020/05/full-report-caregiving-in-the-united-states.doi.10.26419-2Fppi.00103.001.pdf

2.    https://www.caregiver.org/resource/caregiver-statistics-work-and-caregiving/

3.    https://www.metlife.com/content/dam/metlifecom/us/homepage/mmi-research-studies/mmi-caregiving-cost-study.pdf

4.    https://www.apa.org/pi/about/publications/caregivers/research/caregiver-health

5.    https://www.transamericainstitute.org/docs/default-source/caregivers/caregivers-research-report.pdf

6.    https://www.gallup.com/workplace/313861/why-caregiver-support-matters-for-employees-and-employers.aspx

7.    https://www.caregiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/full-report-caregiving-in-the-united-states-2020.pdf

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