The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many curveballs — and some of the trickiest have been aimed at working caregivers. With four million workers leaving their jobs in the U.S. in April alone, many organizations are experiencing what some describe as “the great resignation.” How many of these resignations were the result of working caregivers unable to cope with the increased demands of both work and family? How many ignored their own self-care because they had to focus on caring for others? How many adopted bad health habits in response to stress and lack of sleep? How many told their managers that “burnout is real” before resigning, sometimes without another job lined up?
To understand where we are today, it’s important to reflect back to the start of COVID-19. In early 2020, we saw employers begin to focus on the needs of working caregivers to avoid a drop in productivity. But, as the pandemic spread, working caregivers were left to arrange or provide care for their loved ones as childcare centers, schools and public resources closed or operated at reduced capacity. COVID-19 also quickly spread through nursing homes, leaving families to struggle with decisions on where their loved ones should reside.
The resulting stress and strain made it difficult to meet the demands of work, distance learning and caregiving, with two-thirds of employers saying increased caregiving demands is the driver of mental health issues for their employees. What’s more, employees may have not felt comfortable talking to their managers about just how hard it was, how much they were struggling — particularly if there was uncertainty around their jobs.
The reality is that employers relied on schools and care centers just as much as employees did to keep people at work and productive.
The reality is that employers relied on schools and care centers just as much as employees did to keep people at work and productive. When the reliability of these services was pulled from all of us, it highlighted how much a comprehensive plan for caregivers was needed.
Employers sought to address the needs of working caregivers based on their understanding of employee needs, their industry and business demands, as well as broader financial constraints. Some leaned on employee assistance program (EAP) resources to provide counseling, educational resources and caregiver referrals. Some promoted employee resource groups (ERGs) to encourage employees to support each other and share ideas and advice. Others provided financial support through paid emergency backup care days, as well as paid caregiving leave.
These methods were largely tactical in nature and were short-term fixes to provide care support for a block of hours; they were not meant to address the building stress, burnout, depression, anxiety and other feelings that working caregivers were experiencing. Few employers implemented genuinely holistic caregiving resources that helped the employees navigate the broad range of situations they were dealing with, and few provided emotional support for the caregiver.
*Note: companies with at least 1,000 employees. Source: 2019 and 2021 Willis Towers Watson Best Practices in Health Care Employer Survey
With the emergence of the Delta variant, the hope for life returning to normal has dimmed — and again, this is particularly true for working caregivers. With the variant spreading more quickly among the unvaccinated including children, new breakout cases emerging in the already vaccinated, and the U.S. vaccination rate remaining far below levels needed for herd immunity, we are not even close to a steady state.
Just a few of the difficult considerations that may be top of mind for working caregivers include:
How will families deal with mask mandates as well as dealing with quarantine requirements? What is the best way to protect our children, adults and elderly loved ones?
How can working caregivers meet the expectations of work and home, especially when guidance changes daily?
How can working caregivers cope with weighing the risk of COVID-19 transmission that comes with in-person learning, versus remote instruction when it is an option? How will these measures influence their children’s emotional and social health as well as learning loss? And where in-person instruction is not possible, who will support virtual learning and care during the day?
What does in-person working, learning or facility living look like as we enter cold and flu season? What about the added stress of worrying an illness might be COVID-19 or the flu? Does quarantining or staying home become a reality with a sniffle or sneeze
Employers can play an important role in addressing caregivers’ needs. A good place to start are these six actions below that will not only address the stressors of working caregivers but also help to reduce the great resignation of working caregivers:
In summary, employers can continue to evolve their support for working caregivers and help avoid burnout and departure. It takes time, thoughtfulness and a multifaceted approach, but the payoff can have real advantages in attracting workers and helping combat “the great resignation.”
