Employees with Dual Responsibilities – The Retirement Support Gap You’re Probably Ignoring

How to Help Workers Caring for Themselves and Their Parents as They Plan Their Own Retirement

Meet Jennifer. She’s 58, a longtime employee, and a star performer. She’s also quietly overwhelmed. Her workdays are packed, but her evenings are spent managing her aging mother’s healthcare appointments, helping with medication schedules, and researching long-term care options. At the same time, she’s trying to figure out her own Medicare timeline, future housing needs, and whether she’ll have enough to retire by 65.

Jennifer isn’t alone.

Across industries, a growing number of employees in their 50s and 60s are navigating dual responsibilities: planning for their own retirement while also caring for elderly parents or spouses. These “dual-burden” workers are under-supported, often invisible in benefit plans, and one HR crisis away from burnout.

🎯 Why This Matters More Than Ever

According to AARP, 61% of caregivers also work—and nearly 70% of them make workplace adjustments like reducing hours or taking leave. If your benefits plan doesn't help them manage these challenges, they’ll either disengage—or walk.

As America’s population ages, the traditional structure of retirement has shifted. More adults are living longer, and with that comes a longer period of health decline, caregiving, and complex medical needs.

Meanwhile, older employees are staying in the workforce longer—some by choice, others out of financial or healthcare-related necessity. The result is a sandwiched employee population: experienced workers caught between their own future and their family’s current aging challenges.

If your HR team hasn’t accounted for this dual responsibility in its retirement education or benefits strategy, you’re missing a critical piece of the support puzzle—and likely losing productivity, loyalty, and employee well-being in the process.

🚧 The Reality of Dual Responsibilities

1. Higher Burnout Risk

Juggling full-time work, caregiving, and retirement planning often leads to:

• Chronic stress and mental fatigue
• Increased use of sick days or unpaid leave
• Decreased engagement and productivity

Studies show that caregivers are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and burnout—especially when they’re also trying to plan for their own major life transition.

2. Frequent Time Off and Work Disruptions

Crisis-mode caregiving is unpredictable. Falls, hospital visits, and last-minute care needs pull employees away from work with little warning. These interruptions often hit seasoned staff—the same people many teams rely on for continuity and mentorship.

Without a clear framework for family emergency planning or care coordination resources, HR teams end up fielding urgent requests, adjusting leave schedules, or even losing long-tenured staff prematurely.

3. Confusion About Benefits (Theirs & Their Parents’)

Employees navigating their own Medicare and retirement timelines often get confused when also trying to manage a parent’s:

• Medicaid eligibility
• Long-term care options
• Advance care planning
• Housing or relocation decisions

When these questions go unanswered, employees either make hasty, uninformed decisions—or they bring their concerns to HR, increasing your team’s workload and legal liability.

💡 How HR Can Support Dual-Burden Employees

These workers don’t need more forms or generic webinars—they need real-life, scenario-based support that acknowledges the complexity of their situation.

Here’s how HR teams can build pre-retirement education that works for dual-burden employees:

✅ 1. Include Care Coordination Guidance

Many employees don't even realize they're caregivers—they just think they’re helping out. By offering care coordination education, HR can empower them to:

• Build a family care plan
• Coordinate between medical providers
• Navigate paid and unpaid leave benefits
• Understand community and state-level caregiving resources

💡 Tip: Partner with aging specialists to provide training on eldercare roles, boundaries, and communication.

✅ 2. Offer Medicare and Medicaid Education

Most retirement education focuses only on Medicare. But employees caring for low-income parents or spouses may need to understand Medicaid too.

Educate them on:

• The differences between Medicare and Medicaid
• Dual eligibility and coverage scenarios
• Home- and community-based service options under Medicaid
• What long-term care costs Medicare doesn’t cover

This can reduce panic-driven questions and help employees prepare financially and logistically—both for themselves and their loved ones.

✅ 3. Incorporate Family Emergency & End-of-Life Planning

Employees with aging parents often face decisions about:

• DNR orders
• Hospital transfers
• Assisted living or memory care
• End-of-life preferences

When these conversations are avoided, HR may get dragged into emotional, high-stakes situations. By proactively offering education on:

• Power of Attorney and advance directives
• Emergency plans for dependents
• Legal and medical documentation
  —you empower employees to prepare early and reduce future chaos.

✅ 4. Assess Employee Needs Holistically

Most HR assessments focus on the employee’s benefits usage, engagement, or savings. But few ask:

• Are you caring for a parent or spouse?
• Are you concerned about navigating your benefits while supporting someone else’s?
• Would education on aging and caregiving support your own well-being?

Include caregiving and family aging questions in HR readiness assessments to get a more accurate picture of your workforce’s challenges.

📊 The Business Case: Why This Support Matters

Supporting dual-burden employees is not just compassionate—it’s strategic.

• Reduced absenteeism: Employees with plans in place miss fewer days due to caregiving emergencies.
• Higher retention: Workers who feel supported in all life stages are more likely to stay loyal.
• Improved productivity: When caregiving is managed, employees can focus better at work.
• Lower HR strain: Proactive education reduces last-minute benefits questions and crisis intervention needs.

🔐 Real-Life Insight:

According to AARP, 61% of caregivers also work—and nearly 70% of them make workplace adjustments like reducing hours or taking leave. If your benefits plan doesn't help them manage these challenges, they’ll either disengage—or walk.

📣 Take the Next Step: Support the “Invisible” Retirement Transition

Too many organizations focus retirement education solely on the employee’s financial future. But real life is more complicated.

As your workforce ages, dual-responsibility employees are becoming the norm—not the exception. The most effective HR teams will be the ones that:

• Anticipate caregiving needs
• Support family planning alongside retirement
• Offer real-life aging education—not just financial seminars

✅ Ready to Support the Employees Who Support Others?

Start by taking our free Retirement Readiness Assessment—designed specifically for HR teams to uncover the most common retirement education gaps (like aging, Medicare, caregiving, and more).

Or let’s connect on LinkedIn for insights, free tools, and upcoming training dates to help you reduce HR stress while supporting your most dedicated employees.

📌 Help your dual-burden employees before burnout hits your business.