Caregiving doesn’t show up on an insurance claim line, but its impact is real, the costs are high and nothing prepares you for it, not even being a doctor.

We are both M.D.s, experienced in the delivery of care. Yet, when our oldest son was born prematurely and eventually diagnosed with a rare congenital heart condition that required open heart surgery, our professional experience didn’t equip us for the role of family caregiver. That sudden life shift got more demanding with an aging parent’s terminal brain cancer and end-of-life support plan, Jeff’s own cancer diagnosis and our son’s ongoing health issues, including a recent surgery for scoliosis. Kids grow up, parents grow old and the needs grow with them. It’s like a game of whack-a-mole: When one matter is hammered down, another pops up. Caregiving never ends. And our extraordinary situation is ordinary.

This year, 63 million Americans are providing ongoing care for an adult or child with a complex medical condition or a disability, a leap of 20 million over the past decade. Thirteen million caregivers are also caring for their own health condition, as Jeff did, and roughly 20 million are Sandwich Generation people, like we’ve been, caring for an adult while raising a child under 18.

Here’s the whopper: Sixty percent of caregivers, like us, are employed, and half experience work disruptions such as arriving at their job late or leaving early to provide care or submitting for unplanned leaves. We have experienced these work disruptions firsthand and know the stress of juggling work and taking care of a loved one with special healthcare needs. Fortunately for us, we have worked in organizations with a strong culture of care and empathetic leaders, which is so critical during complex care journeys. Fifty million caregivers are also unpaid and spend an average of $7,200 a year in out-of-pocket expenses. Those alarming numbers will rise as the country’s population ages and lives longer. If you’re not a family caregiver yet, chances are you will be someday. Caregiving, in its current state, is both a personal and a public health crisis.

The numbers illustrate the scale of the caregiving crisis, but for those living it, statistics alone don’t ease the pressure. To cope, people need resources. So do employers. So does the healthcare system. How can employers start to think about the issues affecting them and find solutions?

Why employers must act

Caregiving costs employers a lot—$17-$33 billion annually—from absenteeism and lower retention, but also from employees bringing the stresses of overburdened lives to their jobs. After 10 hours of weekly caregiving, employees are at increased risk of cardiometabolic disease, physical inactivity, obesity, isolation, disturbed sleep and chronic stress. More than half of the Sandwich Generation are at high risk of burnout, with 64% of them screening positive for depression and anxiety. These are all symptoms of the crisis.

When our caregiving demands were overwhelming us, we realized that our employers, despite providing a full suite of benefits, were not able to help support our needs—not because they didn’t care; they just didn’t know how. We had to figure it out ourselves and build a foundation of resources providing answers that would minimize the immediate uncertainty and panic generated by the surprise of becoming a caregiver.

Employers provide healthcare benefits to half the country and, more than any other entity, are in a position to potentially help their members and help themselves. Addressing these challenges requires more than empathy—it demands action and resources tailored to the realities of caregiving.

So, what can HR leaders do to support caregivers in the workforce and mitigate these impacts? The following key actions provide a roadmap for building effective support systems.

Building effective support: key actions for HR leaders

To effectively support employees who are caregivers—and address the growing impact on workforce health and productivity—HR leaders should consider these steps:

1. Assess workforce caregiving needs

• Conduct an initial survey to understand the scope and nature of caregiving responsibilities among employees.
• Ask questions like: “What types of caregiving support do you provide (e.g., helping with daily activities of care like feeding, bathing or functional activities like transportation, meal prep) for a loved one?” and “How does caregiving affect your work?”

2. Recognize diversity in caregiving

• Avoid assumptions about who is a caregiver; caregiving roles vary by culture, family structure and personal circumstances.
• Ensure policies and support reflect the needs of a multigenerational, culturally diverse and global workforce.

3. Offer configurable benefits and resources

• Move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and programs. Provide benefits and support that can be tailored to individual family situations and connected to whole-person care.

4. Provide guidance and navigation tools

• Empower employees with resources and expert guidance to help them manage caregiving challenges.
• Consider leveraging technology, such as AI-powered tools, to help caregivers prioritize tasks and access support efficiently.
• AI can also help employers explore population health trends and rising risk among caregivers, helping them get a better understanding of who might need proactive support.

5. Foster a supportive workplace culture

• Communicate openly about caregiving challenges and available resources.
• Encourage managers to be flexible and understanding of employees’ caregiving responsibilities.

6. Provide support before, during and after a leave of absence

• Focus on preventing avoidable leave of absences by detecting burnout with AI tools and addressing the root cause.
• Support employees while on leave, providing emotional wellbeing and care coordination when it matters most, and help them prepare to return to work.
• Continue support after they return to ensure they will be successful, discuss their caregiving situation with their manager and support them as their caregiving journey continues.

See also: The ‘Sandwich Generation’ presents a growing caregiving crisis for HR

Family caregiving has been overlooked forever by employers and society at large. As our own experiences have shown, the gaps in support only became clear when life circumstances changed. Family caregivers are the largest providers of care in the United States. We are a cornerstone of public health, and caregiving is a universal experience, impacting everything from the healthcare system to the workforce. The critical mass of need makes it imperative that we take care of it now. Caregiving will not wait.