When caregiving strain escalates, workforce impact follows

Millions of employees balance care responsibilities for aging parents, grandparents, spouses, children, and other loved ones alongside their careers. In Part 1 of this series, we looked at who today’s working caregivers are. The next question is what happens when caregiving responsibilities intensify — and how strain, not necessarily caregiving alone, determines whether work remains manageable or becomes disrupted for employee caregivers.

Recent research from the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), drawing on nationally representative survey data alongside real-world outcomes from families receiving coordinated support through Wellthy, helps clarify this distinction. The findings show that caregiving strain is a powerful predictor of productivity loss, absenteeism, and workforce disruption — and that when caregivers receive coordinated support, reported stress and missed work decline significantly.

Strain is where caregiving becomes a workforce issue

Not all caregiving experiences affect work in the same way. Some employees are able to integrate care responsibilities into their routines with minimal disruption. Others face escalating strain that affects their ability to concentrate, maintain schedules, and remain fully engaged in their roles.

IBI’s research found a clear escalation pattern: as caregiving strain increased, so did the likelihood of work productivity loss. Caregivers experiencing high strain were more than 40 times more likely to report productivity loss compared to workers with no caregiving strain. This relationship was not gradual—it accelerated sharply as strain intensified.

Understanding strain requires looking beyond hours spent caregiving. It requires examining the emotional, physical, and logistical pressures that compound over time.

The dimensions of caregiving strain

IBI identified multiple dimensions of strain, including emotional distress, sleep disruption, physical exhaustion, financial pressure, and the complexity of coordinating care. Strain accumulates not simply from time spent caregiving, but from the cognitive and emotional load required to manage unpredictable, high-stakes responsibilities alongside work.

Many caregivers must coordinate medical appointments, navigate insurance systems, arrange services, and make difficult decisions—often with limited formal support. These demands compound over time, increasing pressure on focus, energy, and decision-making capacity.

Emotional strain, in particular, emerged as a significant driver of workplace impact. Caregivers who reported feeling overwhelmed or emotionally distressed experienced substantially higher productivity loss than those who did not. The data suggests that caregiving strain is not just a logistical challenge, but a cognitive and emotional one that directly shapes how employees function at work.

Strain influences workforce participation and continuity

As strain intensifies, its effects extend beyond day-to-day productivity. For some employees, caregiving strain contributes to reduced hours, leaves of absence, or stepping away from the workforce entirely.

IBI’s research found that a meaningful share of caregivers reported that caregiving responsibilities prevented them from working at some point. These workers experienced the highest levels of productivity disruption, illustrating how unmanaged caregiving strain can ultimately affect workforce continuity.

These outcomes carry implications not only for individual employees and their families, but also for employers. Workforce participation, retention, and continuity are shaped in part by how sustainable caregiving responsibilities are for employees over time.

Strain is measurable—and responsive to support

One of the most important findings from the IBI research is that caregiving strain is not fixed. When caregivers receive coordinated support — including having access to concierge programs like Wellthy — levels of reported stress decline significantly.

Among caregivers receiving coordinated care support, the share reporting high stress dropped sharply, while many reported improvements in their ability to manage care alongside their work and personal responsibilities. These findings suggest that caregiving strain, while common, is not inevitable—and that targeted support can help stabilize workforce participation and productivity. And it mirrors testimonials we receive from families nearly each and every day about how support can make all the difference in a family’s ability to manage their care needs.

My family and I have been in an ongoing battle since my dad's first stroke—eight long months of navigating care, uncertainty, and emotional highs and lows. I learned about Wellthy from a coworker who shared that it was a benefit available to me. I can honestly say it’s been one of the most impactful resources we’ve had throughout this journey. Your care team has been a lifeline—patient, kind, efficient, and incredibly empathetic. From coordinating care logistics to simply being there with thoughtful guidance, your support has made an overwhelming situation feel manageable. We are so thankful for everything you’ve done and continue to do. — Eavan, Wellthy member

Understanding strain is essential to understanding today’s workforce

Caregiving has always been part of family life — and by extension, part of working life. What IBI’s research clarifies is not that caregiving exists, but that the level of strain caregivers experience determines how those responsibilities translate into productivity loss, absenteeism, and workforce participation.

Many employers have already recognized this distinction. In recent years, countless organizations have expanded their benefits strategies to better support employee caregivers as a response to measurable workforce impact. As workforce and family demographics continue to evolve, attention to caregiver strain is likely to become even more central to workforce planning.

To explore the full findings from IBI’s research, including detailed analysis of caregiving strain and productivity outcomes, you can download the complete report here.