There is a workforce crisis hiding in plain sight — one most employers have not yet acknowledged (although the CHIPS and Science Act presaged this with its inclusion of childcare to help the semiconductor industry attract and retain caregivers). It is the growing pressure on employees working their nine-to-five while also serving as primary caregivers for loved ones.
I recognized this in my own life a few years ago. My mom picked me up at the airport. She used to get speeding tickets in Montana, which is hard to do. So, when she drove slowly, I knew something had changed. I asked her why, and she said, “Driving is just harder now.” That hit me. I was not just worried about her safety. I started wondering what would come next. What happens when she needs real help? Who will be there? How will I manage that and my job?
That moment sparked something in me. If I was going through this, so were my friends and co-workers. People trying to care for their parents, focus at work, raise kids and protect their own well-being.
Every day, employees are quietly stepping away from jobs they love, not to pursue new roles or personal ventures but to care for aging parents and loved ones. For too long, caregiving has been treated as a private matter. But the data says otherwise. By 2034, adults aged 65 and over will outnumber 18-year-olds in the United States. Over the next 25 years, the population of adults more than 80 years old is projected to triple.
Today, about one in five employees is a caregiver. In fact, nearly 70% of family caregivers report difficulty balancing career and caregiving responsibilities. Left unsupported, this doesn’t just lead to stress, but also burnout, resignations and real productivity loss.
This is no longer a niche problem. It’s a mainstream workforce issue, and employers who don’t adapt are going to lose good people.
Why should this matter to employers? Because when care outside of work is stable, employees stay focused and engaged. But when it’s unpredictable, the ripple effects show up in performance metrics, absenteeism and turnover. Replacing a single employee can cost up to twice their salary.
So let us cut to it. Supporting caregivers is not just a nice-to-have benefit. It is a retention strategy.
This is what compassionate, solution-oriented support looks like for employees now and in the future. When companies invest in professional caregivers as a staff benefit, they are not just helping employees, they are addressing a real workforce challenge.
What should business leaders do? Start by looking at systems already in place for childcare. Many companies offer flexible schedules, subsidized care, or access to third-party services. It is time to mirror those supports for elder care.
At Honor Technology, our mission is to change how society cares for older adults. We built the largest in-home care network in the western hemisphere to meet this growing need. Through our consumer care brand, Home Instead, we deliver 60 million hours of care each year, creating a foundation that helps families and the employers who support them navigate caregiving with confidence.
The demographic shift is already here. The emotional toll is being felt. Productivity losses are happening: missed meetings, reduced hours, quiet quitting. This is not a distant risk but a present reality for a growing share of the workforce. Yet the opportunity to act is also here. Employers who invest in caregiving support today will earn the loyalty, focus and long-term commitment of their teams tomorrow.
The workforce of the future is aging, and caregiving is becoming one of its defining pressures. The companies that recognize this and build support systems around it will be the ones that lead.
Seth Sternberg is co-founder and CEO of Honor Technology and CEO of Home Instead.
[Part II of this article is “From Insight to Action: 3 Moves Employers Can Make to Support Caregivers.”]
