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The Time Employees Never Get Back
How Employers Can Help Working Caregivers Focus on What Matters Most
ieadvocates
June 10, 2026
Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Newsletter
Brought to you by ieAdvocates (invisible employee advocates)
Thank you for being here!
Over the course of their lifetime, a full-time employee spends on average, 90,000 hours working during their career. Ninety thousand hours contributing their talents, solving problems, serving customers, leading teams, and helping build organizational success. But what happens when that employee faces one of life's most significant challenges: caring for a parent, spouse, child, or other loved one whose health is declining?
When we recently asked experienced caregivers what they would do differently if they looked back to the beginning of their journey, their answers were remarkably consistent. Few wished they had attended more meetings, answered more emails, or worked longer hours. Instead, many wished they had spent more time being present with the people they loved. That reflection raises an important question for employers:
“What responsibility do we have to people who spend 90,000 hours helping build our organizations and our economy?”
In this edition, we explore caregiving through a different lens: the role employers can play in helping employees focus on what truly matters. From anticipatory grief and emotional well-being to flexibility and workplace culture, we examine how organizations can support caregivers not only as employees, but as family members navigating one of life’s most challenging and meaningful journeys.
Although organizations cannot change the outcome of an illness, they can help employees preserve something equally valuable: the time, presence, and memories they will carry long after the caregiving journey has ended.
Table of Contents
In the news:
Latest research, events, and articles that are making an impact for working caregivers and their employers.
Economic Value of Family Caregiving Reaches $1 Trillion Dollars Annually, New AARP Report Shows
AARP found that family caregivers now provide more than $1 trillion worth of unpaid care annually, representing nearly 24 million full-time equivalent workers. This was calculating using the report’s findings that 59 million Americans are caregivers of adults, providing care for older parents, spouses, neighbors, and other loved ones, contributing 49.5 billion hours of care annually. The report argues that caregivers have become an invisible pillar supporting the nation's long-term care system.
Increasing Access to Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces: Stakeholder Perspectives
This study examines what employers, policymakers, and caregiver advocates believe organizations should do to better support working caregivers. The research highlights three recurring themes:
Flexibility matters.
Workplace culture matters.
Manager support matters.
The study does not just identify the problem, but focuses on practical solutions organizations can implement today. It reinforces the idea that caregiving support is not just a benefits issue—it's a culture issue
Did you know? (Read our blog):
Our blog brings you knowledge, personal and researched, to raise your awareness and empathy about working caregivers and caregiving.
Another Type of Caregiver Support: Helping Employees Experience the Moments That Matter Most by Selma Archer
When organizations talk about supporting working caregivers, the conversation often centers on strategies to reduce absenteeism and preserve productivity, employee engagement, and retention. Those are important business considerations. But there is another question that deserves equal attention:
What if caregiver support is also about helping employees experience moments they can never get back?
Arguably, the most limited resource a caregiver has is time. Caregivers are often trying to make the most of a limited number of years, months, or days with a loved one. Simultaneously, many invest decades of time in their organizations. When those realities collide, employers have an opportunity to make a meaningful difference.
People and Companies In the spotlight:
Our podcast puts a spotlight on guests who are making a significant difference in the working caregiver space.
Episode 40: The Hidden Cost of Putting Yourself Last as a Caregiver with Dr. Billina
As working caregivers, we often focus so much on caring for others that we forget one critical truth: caring for ourselves is not optional. In this episode, we sit down with psychiatrist, coach, and financial wellness advocate Dr. Billina Shaw to explore the often-overlooked physical, emotional, mental, and financial impacts of caregiving. Through personal stories, professional insights, and practical wisdom, Dr. Shaw helps us understand why self-care is a necessity—not a luxury.
We also dive into the connection between mental health and financial wellness, the challenges caregivers face in the workplace, and how shifting our mindset around money can reduce guilt, shame, and stress. Whether you're currently caring for a loved one or preparing for the possibility in the future, this conversation offers valuable perspective and encouragement for the journey ahead.
Dr. Billina Shaw is a Yale-educated, triple board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry, as well as addiction medicine. She holds degrees from Yale University, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Throughout her career, she has served in leadership roles across government, private organizations, and her local church.
Dr. Shaw is also the Founder & Coach of Freely Flourish Financial, a financial wellness practice inspired by a powerful realization from her clinical work: money isn't just math—it's a combination of numbers and meaning. Recognizing that practical financial knowledge alone rarely creates lasting change, she developed her proprietary Aligned Health & Wealth™ framework to help individuals strengthen both their mindset and financial strategy. Through this work, she empowers clients to move from feeling anxious and stuck to living with greater purpose, peace, and prosperity.
Stories From Real Working Caregivers:
Actual Working Caregivers Share Their Stories
Meet Vadim Liberman, a real working caregiver:
Vadim Liberman
“… I would say that for me, the bigger struggle was trying to manage work, or balance work, not with caregiving per se, but with grief. That's a whole different issue. Now we're talking an emotional aspect to it. And that, to me, was it just proved for me to be impossible, and I eventually left the workforce because of that..”
What would you suggest in terms of where you can bring policy and culture together and make it work so that we could be more supportive for people that are grieving?
“…For starters, when you have leaders who are going through caregiving issues and grief issues, have them actually take that time off. Let them be an example to other employees. ..”
“… it really is just as simple as encouraging people in the workforce to talk about these issues…we throw baby showers at work,…we have, celebrate birthdays at work, because those are fun, those are nice, those are real-good things to talk about, right? And I'm not saying we shouldn't. But, it's almost taboo to have a gathering of people at work related to, again, caregiving, right? Or some of the darker, shall we say, struggles that people might face. And it… there shouldn't be any difference”
“…maybe having employee affinity groups around this and all of that. But, you know, the policy is one piece. You can have all the policies, all the right policies in the world, but if the culture isn't there to enable you or to encourage you to take part in those policies, they're kind of useless.
Vadim Liberman does not want to work. He just wants to talk about work. And that’s exactly what he does ever since leaving the workforce to help care for his mother. Vadim is also a freelance writer, former editor at ERE Media, and has previously been a strategy consultant to HR and recruiting tech companies at The Starr Conspiracy. Prior, he caused tons of trouble as a talent management professional at Prudential and as senior editor of The Conference Board Review, a magazine for business leaders. Vadim loves to talk about all things HR, talent acquisition, and Bravo TV shows.
What kind of dose of inspiration would you give HR if they haven't even thought about this stuff and they want to do something tomorrow?
“I would say, first of all, even if you do not realize it, you have coworkers, colleagues who are really going through tough times. And it could be caregiving, like I said, for their young ones, it could be for their elderly parents, it's often both, right? … And if there aren't any of those stories at work, it's not because they're not struggling, it's because the culture is not there to be able to talk about that. Right? And so I would say, create that space to do that. During lunchtime, have lunch and learns, have some workplace support groups. You will be, as a leader, pleasantly surprised, I believe, at how many people will feel a sense of relief to be able to talk about this with their other coworkers. And sure, to some extent, probably some colleagues already do that on an informal basis, but when you actually create that space, it says that you, as a company, care about this. And that's where it starts, that's not where it ends. But I feel like that's a pretty easy, low-hanging fruit there to start with. And why not? That would be my number one suggestion. That's the kind of thing where you can do tomorrow, and it's free, right? That is like every executive's favorite four-letter F word. It's free.
Recommended media content:
We explore and share with you diverse media illuminating the dynamics and narratives within the care economy - from insightful podcasts to thought-provoking books and engaging videos.
PODCASTS
The University of Southern California's Center for Advancing Family Caregiver Financial and Workplace Security has launched a new podcast series, The Care Economy: Practical Approaches to Family Caregiving and Financial Well-Being, with host Maureen Feldman, exploring one of today's most pressing and often overlooked economic issues: unpaid family caregiving. In this powerful episode, Maureen speaks with national leaders and real-world practitioners about how caregiving is reshaping today's workforce — and what employers can do right now to better support caregivers. Featuring insights from Diane Ty of the Milken Institute's Future of Aging Initiative, Teresa McDade from Microsoft's Global Benefits Organization, and Bryn Ceman of the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, this episode explores the growing impact of caregiving on employee wellbeing, productivity, retention, and workplace culture.
BOOKS
The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger, MD and Marc Schulz, PhD. The Good Life reminds us that while careers are important, relationships ultimately define our well-being. Drawing on more than 80 years of research, the authors demonstrate that meaningful connections—not professional accomplishments—are what people value most when looking back on their lives.
VIDEOS:
Mourning in America: Employees Deserve Better Than Bereavement Policies Based on One of HR’s Biggest Lies - a DisruptHR talk by Vadim Liberman. DisruptHR New York City 25.0 - February 1, 2024 in New York, NY. “That mental health is health. That mental health is as important as physical health. But if that were true, company policies would look very different, especially when it comes to bereavement. So the next time you hear anyone in leadership or talent or HR tell you how much they value mental health, ask them about bereavement leave. That will tell you all you need to know. ” ~ Vadim Liberman, LinkedIn post about his talk .
We want to thank Andrea and Zack Stoumbos who took the time to read our book and provide a thoughtful ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐review!
A smart read for employers and their employee caregivers.
The authors have provided both their personal and professional perspective to the ever winding roadways of eldercare. It is a must read. The guidance and references are priceless.
Order your copy of Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees book here. If you want to order a quantity of books for your leadership team and employees, contact us directly about discount pricing.
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