The New York State Office for the Aging, the New York State Department of Labor, and the New York State Department of Health have launched a public-private partnership to survey businesses and their employees to help identify the number of employees who are caregiving for a loved one and to assess working caregiver intensity and connect them to supports and information. The state is encouraging employers to ask employees to complete the survey which can be found at
https://go.wisc.edu/hgj940.
It is critical to understand the daily tasks working caregivers are performing and how those tasks impact their work and health. Survey results will be shared with business leaders and their human resource departments, policy makers, and operators of caregiver programs. The goal is to raise awareness about working caregivers, the services available, and help them connect to these supports while measuring their caregiving experience. In addition, it is envisioned that this will also help caregivers navigate potential challenges they face in balancing their work and family lives.
A “caregiver” is defined as a family, friend, or neighbor who helps an individual with their daily living. There are an estimated 4.1 million caregivers in New York State who provide 2.68 billion hours of unpaid care. If paid for at market rate, the cost of that care would be $32 billion annually.
In the U.S. today, one in six employees spends on average more than 20 hours a week providing care for a loved one. Caregiving costs U.S. businesses an estimated $50 billion a year in lost productivity.
A June 18, 2021 study conducted by the US Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Chronic Disease Control and prevention found that 70 percent of parents and/or caregivers reported adverse mental health symptoms, with 55 percent reporting anxiety or depression, 54 percent reporting COVID-19-induced stress and trauma, and 32 percent reporting passive or serious suicidal thoughts.
New York State Office for the Aging Acting Director Greg Olsen said, “Tasks associated with caring for a loved one are not limited to off-hours. These responsibilities affect the workplace, in terms of workplace productivity, turnover, absenteeism, and increased health care costs. It is important to help public and private sector businesses recognize that many employees have caregiving responsibilities, and many caregivers traditionally don’t self-identify as such. Additionally, it is mission-critical to educate businesses and caregivers about available services to help support employers, employees, and the individuals being cared for.”
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