The Caregiver Conundrum: Balancing Acts in the Modern Workplace

I have a confession to make.

For years, I've been talking about work-life balance, productivity, and creating space for what matters. But there was a massive blind spot in my perspective—one that became glaringly obvious when my mother reached an age when she needed more of my time and energy.

That blind spot? The extraordinary pressure faced by working caregivers.

As I found myself juggling my professional responsibilities with caregiving, I realized I had interacted for decades with people carrying this invisible burden—people who showed up to meetings, hit deadlines, and contributed brilliantly to their teams—all while shouldering the time and tasks of caring for loved ones at home.

It was a wake-up call, and it's time we all woke up to this reality.

The Invisible Army

Did you know that, according to 美国哈佛商学院 , up to 73% of employees have some type of current caregiving responsibility? That's right – not 25%, not 50%, but potentially more than two-thirds of your workforce.

To dive deeper into this issue, the JFG (Juliet Funt Group) team spoke with the fabulous Adrienne Belyea Prentice , co-founder of Keep Company , a firm dedicated to supporting working parents and caregivers. Adrienne opened my eyes to the nuances of caregiving that many of us overlook.

First, it's crucial to understand that caregiving encompasses more than just parenting. As Adrienne explains:

"At Keep Company, we support parents and caregivers. We look at them as two different categories. Parents are caring for able-bodied children of all ages, while caregivers are caring for family members who have a medical condition. That could be a dad with dementia, a spouse with cancer, or a sibling with substance use."

What's more, many individuals don't even identify themselves as caregivers. They see themselves as daughters, sons, or spouses simply doing what family does. This invisibility is part of what makes the caregiving crisis so challenging to address.

The Hidden Costs

The toll on these caregivers is immense, often invisible, and frequently misunderstood. Let's break it down:

1. Mental Health: Caregivers are sacrificing their own well-being to meet the demands of work and home. It's not just stress—it's constant, low-level anxiety that can lead to burnout if left unchecked.
2. The Mental Load: Adrienne points out that caregivers carry an enormous mental load. "It's all those little tasks that add up that are on your mind, and you have to do. Sometimes, it is the emotional labor of putting on a happy face for the people around you. It is the low-level anxiety about the health and well-being of your family and of your career." The mental load of caregiving – the planning, worrying, and emotional labor – is a constant backdrop to a caregiver's workday.
3. Career Progression: Women often shoulder a disproportionate share of caregiving duties, so they may take on more "non-promotable" but necessary work, potentially stunting their career growth. Without proper resources, there’s also a sense of fear around discussing these challenges at work without worrying about being a burden, downer, oversharing, or viewed as less capable of opportunities and promotions.

Breaking the Silence

So, what can we do? It starts with awareness and open conversation. Here are some steps we can all take:

For Leaders:

1. Track caregiver status in your organization. As Adrienne Belyea Prentice says, "You can't support parents and caregivers if you don't know who they are.”
2. Create a culture where it's safe to discuss caregiving responsibilities and to draw boundaries for work-life balance.
3. Offer flexible work arrangements and clear paths for career progression for caregivers.
4. Provide training for managers on supporting caregiving employees.
5. Recognize that supporting caregivers isn’t just an HR or DEI issue—it’s a business imperative that affects your bottom line.

For Caregivers:

1. Recognize that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.
2. Be clear about your needs—whether you need flexible hours, remote work options, or simply understanding during a tough time.
3. Connect with other caregivers in your organization or industry. You're not alone.
4. Lean into your resources outside of work. This isn’t a burden you have to shoulder alone.
5. Take time for "white space" – moments to pause, reflect, and identify what you truly need. Adrienne Belyea Prentice says, "Before you can ask for help, you need to figure out what would help. And in order to figure out what would help, you've got to slow down, take a step back, zoom out and think about it."

For Everyone:

1. Practice empathy. The colleague who seems distracted in meetings might worry about their father's doctor's appointment.
2. Offer support where you can. Sometimes, a listening ear can make all the difference.
3. Challenge the misconception that caregivers are less committed or capable at work by speaking up when such criticisms or assumptions are made.

A Personal Challenge

I challenge each of you – leaders and individual contributors alike – to take a minute to think about the caregivers in your life and workplace. How can you support them? How can you create a work environment where caregiving and career growth aren't mutually exclusive?

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. As Adrienne Belyea Prentice emphasizes, "What one parent or caregiver needs is going to look so different than the next." The key is to create an environment where individual needs can be expressed and addressed.

When we support our caregivers, we're not just helping individuals—we're strengthening our teams, organizations, and communities.

It's time to bridge the gap between caregiving and careers.

Are you ready to take that step?