Taking Care of Ill Dependents Carries Costs for Workers

Newswise — Time missed from work to care for ill family members is a frequent problem associated with economic costs, work impairments, and increased health risks for employees, reports a study in the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

Led by Dr. Wayne N. Burton of Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, the researchers analyzed health risk data from more than 16,500 employees of a major financial services company. The study focused on the costs and consequences incurred by workers who missed work time to provide care for an ill dependent, such as a child or aged parent.

Overall, 10.6 percent of the workers had recently missed work time to care for an ill dependent. The missed work time averaged 7.7 hours—nearly a full work day—over the previous two weeks.

Employees with certain characteristics were more likely to miss work time because of caregiving responsibilities, specifically younger and minority workers and those in non-managerial jobs. Missing work to care for ill dependents was also linked to increases in some lifestyle-related health risks, including smoking, lack of time for exercise and sleep, and stress-related problems such as anxiety and depression.

Workers with caregiving responsibilities also reported higher levels of work limitations, particularly related to time management and mental/interpersonal demands. The more hours per week devoted to caregiving, the higher the level of work impairment.

Missed time due to caregiving carried substantial costs for employers -- more than $240,000 in lost wages, just among workers completing the health risk survey. Multiplied over a full year, the costs to the company likely exceeded $6 million.

Despite growing awareness of the impact of employee health on corporate costs, less is known about indirect costs such as lost productivity due to the need to care for ill children, aged parents, and other dependents.

Caring for ill family dependents is a significant but under-appreciated source of missed work time and lost productivity, the new results suggest. At least in the company studied, more than 10 percent of workers have missed work time for this reason, averaging one missed day per two weeks. In addition to the economic costs, caregiving activities may be related to other problems, including impairments in work ability and increased health risks.

Given these costs, Dr. Burton and colleagues believe that companies would probably benefit from strategies to help employees cope with the demands of caregiving. For example, flex time and other job arrangements, coverage for dependent care, and mental health benefits could reduce the burden on workers seeking to balance their job demands with their caregiving responsibilities. The researchers conclude, "Employers will be well served in finding a means of supportive coexistence with the demands that caregiving places on their employees."

ACOEM, an international society of 6,000 occupational physicians and other healthcare professionals, provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.