"Caregiving as a benefits issue is on the radar of most employers, but there is wide variation in the support employers provide for employee-caregivers," says Laurel Pickering, president and CEO of the nonprofit NEBGH, an employer-led coalition based in New York City. 

Most survey respondents indicate that employees are permitted to use sick, vacation or personal days for caregiving. However, fewer than half have programs such as caregiver support groups, counseling services or subsidized in-home backup care for those being cared for by employees. A minority of employers give workers access to free or low-cost workplace resources supporting caregivers. 

If they had the funding and authorization, respondents say they'd like to provide employees with expanded leave policies, subsidized access to digital tools or other caregiving resources, and coaching, wellness or support services specifically to help caregivers care for themselves. 

In addition, benefits managers cited the following barriers, in order of importance, preventing them from being more accommodating to caregivers: 

• absence of employer benchmarks and best practices for caregiving;

• lack of financial resources;

• lack of data to identify caregivers;

• insufficient organizational capacity to support leave or flexible schedules;

• lack of employee engagement with caregiving support;

• difficulty getting buy-in from senior leadership;

• difficulty managing additional vendors to provide caregiving services;

• and stigma toward caregiving.