How Caregiving Affects Employers

The moment I became a caregiver to a bladder cancer patient, was when my first husband was diagnosed with metastatic disease. Suddenly, there was so much to do: research treatment options; set up appointments for labs and scans and surgeons and medical oncologists and radiation oncologists; decide where to get a second opinion.

All that in addition to processing the idea that my husband had an incurable cancer.

Caregiving is hard and constant work

We were thrown abruptly and urgently into bladder cancer. For others, the trajectory is slow and grinding: maybe BCG treatments and cystoscopies over the years. Either way, a caregiver is a person who is often critical to helping the patient navigate bladder cancer and its treatments. Whether for a sudden devastating diagnosis or slow, chronic disease management, caregiving is hard and constant work.

Medicine and researchers are starting to recognize the essential role caregivers play in a patient’s treatment. Research grants have been awarded to study caregiving in the context of certain diseases.

How caregiving affects employers

And now, a recent report, The Caring Company, by the Harvard Business School urges employers to address how caregiving affects their employees and their business. Anyone who has been a caregiver knows how difficult it is to be a caregiver and to work full time. But authors Joseph B. Fuller and Manjari Raman contend that American employers have long ignored the growing challenge caregiving poses to business.

The executive summary of the report begins with:

“American companies are facing a caregiving crisis—they just refuse to acknowledge it. Rising health care and professional caregiving costs and changing demographics over the few decades have put great pressure on American employees as they try to balance work and care responsibilities. Yet many employers remain largely oblivious to the growing costs of this hidden “care economy”— costs that hurt employers and employees alike.”

The report — thoughtful and data-rich — implores employers to pay attention to employees’ caregiving obligations and frames the problem in terms of “talent management, rather than exclusively another potential expensive benefit.”

Trying to work part-time

It’s an important contribution to the growing body of work about caregiving, especially if it encourages companies to act. But none of it is a surprise to caregivers to bladder cancer patients. When my first husband was diagnosed with metastatic disease, I tried to continue working. I took a short period of time off and then tried to return part-time, but even that was too difficult with commuting and the slew of appointments and treatments.

Employers need to recognize this burden

I ultimately ended up being away from my government employer for nearly a year. I was lucky because I had supplemental and other insurance that helped sustain us financially. I was also lucky to have supportive colleagues. But many people are not so lucky. It is time employers recognize this growing burden they and their employees face.