The Quiet Caregiver Crisis in the Workforce

This year, the news that working mothers are leaving the workforce in large numbers has captured national headlines. What’s even more concerning is that data collected during Businessolver’s 2025 State of Workplace Empathy Study suggests the problem may be broader and deeper than many HR leaders realize.

Businessolver’s data indicates that “sandwich generation” employees, primarily Gen X and Millennials who are caring for both children and aging parents, are reaching a breaking point. And it’s not just women caregivers who are challenged by balancing responsibilities at work and at home. Among the more than 3,000 national respondents in this year’s empathy study, 56% of sandwich moms and 65% of sandwich dads said they were considering leaving their employer in the next six months.

For employers, these findings should sound alarms. The productivity and attrition costs alone of such an exodus would be substantial. To illustrate this point, Businessolver’s research points to a potential $180 billion (yes, billion) attrition crisis driven by unempathetic workplaces. Aside from the costs, this data sends a concerning signal about the state of workplace culture and empathy today.

HR leaders are uniquely suited to take a leading role, both in recognizing the risk and addressing the lurking problem that may threaten their organizations.

2025 data highlights an unaddressed caregiver crisis in the workplace
Many caregivers—myself included—know all too well that caregiving responsibilities are often invisible. In the workplace, this is compounded when employees are concerned about the stigma of appearing distracted or less committed, driving the problem further underground.

For this reason, many employers may be unaware of just how many of their employees are stressed or overwhelmed by caregiving responsibilities. And, with over half of this population ready to leave, unempathetic organizations will find themselves under even more pressure to manage costs as top talent exits the organization. When caregiver exits happen, they represent the loss of tenured, highly skilled employees with institutional knowledge and leadership acumen.

But not all caregivers can afford to leave their jobs, and leaving these employees unsupported represents a business risk that can cascade beyond a few weeks of stress. The ripple effects manifest in higher absenteeism, lower productivity, and increased healthcare costs—all real cost issues HR professionals know well. Left unaddressed, these risks compound into workplace culture problems. Disengaged employees who feel unsupported can erode morale and trust.

The data on gender, mental health, and financial stress
One of the most striking insights from our 2025 empathy study is that it’s not just moms feeling the strain—a significant percentage of dads are also contemplating leaving their employers. Traditionally, the conversation around supporting caregivers has focused on women, but this year’s data brings more nuance to the conversation. It shows that men, too, are struggling under the weight of dual caregiving roles and inflexible work structures.

It’s a signal to HR leaders that caregiver strain is a broad workforce issue. Supporting caregivers across gender lines can help prevent attrition while also dismantling traditional ideas about who bears caregiving responsibilities.

For all caregivers, mental health is a key dimension of the challenge. Studies show the psychological health of family caregivers can be negatively impacted by stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health effects. This year, across all employees surveyed, 72% said they are no longer willing to sacrifice their mental health for work—and this indicates a clear boundary. If employers can’t offer structures that support mental wellbeing—such as flexibility, resources for stress management, and empathetic leadership—caregivers may choose to walk away over compromising their health.

Another added layer is financial stress. The challenges of caregiving come with real costs. The expense of things like childcare and eldercare services, when combined with rising living costs and healthcare premiums, make many caregivers feel financially squeezed at every turn. For this population, employer-sponsored benefits such as 401(k) matches, pre-tax savings accounts, group rates for additional out-of-pocket protections, and paid family leave aren’t just nice-to-have, but a financial lifeline.

The workplace benefits that signal empathy to caregivers
Employers aren’t in a position to remove all the burdens of caregiving. But they can demonstrate empathy to this vital segment of the workforce. A decade of research into the impact of workplace empathy—and my own lived experience—says that a little empathy has a big effect.

Employee benefits are one of clearest places that empathy can show up at work. When we surveyed caregivers about the benefits they view as the clearest signs of employer empathy, these were the top 10:

1. Paid Maternity Leave
2. Paid Time Off (PTO)
3. Flexible Work Hours
4. Flexible Work Location (remote work)
5. Wellness days or weeks (paid time off for mental wellbeing)
6. Paid Paternity Leave
7. Extended Mental Health Benefits
8. Core Benefits (medical, dental, vision, life)
9. Employer Financial Contributions (401k, HSA, FSA, etc.)
10. Family Benefits (paid after school programs, daycare)

Perhaps not surprisingly, flexibility and work-life balance are major themes among the top benefits. In fact, when it comes to flexible work policies, sixty percent of remote or hybrid workers in the survey said they would quit if forced back into the office full-time. More than half (51%) even said they would accept a pay cut in exchange for the ability to work remotely.

For caregivers, flexibility is not about convenience—it’s about survival. Being able to attend a medical appointment with an aging parent or pick up a child from school without fearing career repercussions can make the critical difference between staying or leaving an employer.
Employees measure empathy not just by what leaders say, but by the policies and benefits that tangibly improve their lives.

How HR leaders can make flexibility a modern currency
Our 2025 State of Workplace Empathy study holds a hidden warning about potential caregiver flight. If organizations don’t respond, they not only risk losing valuable employees but they miss out on the widespread benefits that an empathetic culture brings. Caregiver employees have made it clear: flexibility is empathy, and when they feel empathy, they stay.

If your organization is rightfully concerned, there are three practical steps HR leaders can begin now:

1. Employ targeted listening strategies. Use targeted listening strategies such as employee “pulse” surveys to better understand the needs of caregivers. and
2. Prioritize flexibility. Flexibility may look different for every workplace, but clearly articulating balance as a value, and what it looks like in practice, can become a tool for workforce sustainability. Based on the feedback gathered from listening strategies, identify ways to proactively adjust policies and benefits to introduce greater flexibility before issues arise.
3. Make empathy (and workplace flexibility) a business strategy. Empathy isn’t just about soft, fuzzy words. It’s a real driver of employee retention, engagement, and productivity. As you introduce more flexible policies to that end, start tracking measurable outcomes. Movement in employee retention and organizational culture scores that show leadership how empathy-led HR strategies can have a strategic impact. I can speak from experience here. When our organization became more flexible, we experienced a 92% improvement in employee net-promoter scores and our employee retention now stands at 91%.

Addressing the issue proactively is an opportunity for HR to turn caregiver risk into a more rewarding work environment for everyone. By putting empathy at the center, HR can help define whether organizations keep or lose some of their most valued employees in 2025, and beyond.