Baby Boomers As Caregivers

Baby Boomers' Caregiving Duties Impact Jobs And Health

The demands of balancing a full-time job and caring for an injured or ill family member is a major source of stress for many Baby Boomers and is impacting their productivity and their health, according to new research

Barbara Campbell announced the survey's findings today at the Behavioral Risk in the Workplace Conference organized by the Disability Management Employer Coalition and offered recommendations on how employers can provide the Sandwich Generation with much needed assistance.

"Our research found a troubling trend of Baby Boomer caregivers being pushed to their limits. They are worried about their ability to manage both their work and home life," said Campbell. "We hope to raise awareness among employers about this risk to their employees' health and productivity because they play a key role in bringing workers' lives back into balance."

A majority of Baby Boomers said they are stressed out about caregiving and, at the same time, are worried about how their caregiving is impacting their job, according to The Hartford's survey of Americans born between 1946 and 1964 who accessed ComPsych's Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Conducted in February 2010, the joint survey by The Hartford and ComPsych found younger Baby Boomers, ages 45 to 54, are carrying the largest burden of family care responsibilities, with more than half saying they've taken time off from work to due to their caregiving responsibilities.

Work Worries & Caregiving Concerns

More than 80 percent of Baby Boomers said they feel moderate to high levels of stress related to the care or support they are giving to children, spouses and/or parents.

In addition, nearly half of young Baby Boomers surveyed (46.6 percent) reported feeling worried about how caregiving is impacting their job. It was their No. 1 concern, while older Baby Boomers, who are 55 and older, were most concerned about postponing retirement as a result of their role as caregiver.

Younger Baby Boomers' worries could be linked to the fact that more than half of this group (68 percent) said they have missed work or left early from work due to their caregiving duties in the last six months. Half of those workers said they missed eight to 16 hours of work in the previous six month.

"A day or two of work might not seem like much," Campbell noted. "But in today's business environment of streamlined workforces, any absence can impact productivity."

More than three-quarters of Baby Boomers reported taking up to 16 hours of paid vacation time to care for another person. "Our research found that while many Baby Boomers are under pressure on all sides, they are using their paid time-off as an extension of their hectic lives rather than a vacation," Campbell said.

Campbell said an analysis of leave data by The Hartford1 found that Baby Boomers take more leaves due to their illness than any other age group of workers. "We are concerned that many Boomers are either becoming sick or hurt as a result of prolonged stress," she said. "In addition, stress can impact their ability to recover from an illness or injury."


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