Caregiving has long been a reality for employees, and its impact on the workforce is only getting
louder, more complex, and harder to ignore. As families manage care for aging parents, young
children, loved ones with health needs, and often their own well-being, the strain is reshaping
how people show up at work and what they need to stay engaged, present, and supported.
May 2025 data from the Health Growth Advisory Network (HGAN) reinforces this shift. Their
survey of 82 benefits leaders representing nearly 5 million US employees revealed:

• 98% said caregiving has a moderate to very high impact on productivity
• In a question where benefits leaders could select multiple impacts, 87% cited stress and
  burnout, followed by increased leaves of absence (72%) and absenteeism (52%) as
  common consequences of caregiving challenges;
• Only 35% of employers offer backup care today, and nearly a third of those are
  dissatisfied with their current solution—most often due to high costs, inconsistent
  access, and limited provider networks

These findings reflect what Wellthy is seeing across the market. Employers are actively
rethinking legacy benefits and looking for solutions that are more modern, personalized, and
adaptable to today’s workforce. Hybrid work models have only intensified the pressure on
caregivers and brought long-standing gaps in care infrastructure into sharper focus.
As caregiving collides with rising turnover, widening equity gaps, and mounting productivity
losses, employers are recognizing that support for caregivers is not optional. It is a business-
critical investment that directly affects workforce stability, performance, and well-being.