Every employer wants their workforce to be fully engaged and productive. Yet a growing challenge undermines this goal: presenteeism, where employees are physically present but mentally distracted by personal responsibilities that drain their focus and energy.
The numbers reveal the scope of this challenge. Research from Harvard Business Review shows employees spend 41% of their time on discretionary activities that add little value and could be delegated to others. Meanwhile, the juggling act of modern life—coordinating childcare, managing elderly parent care, and handling household responsibilities while working from home—creates a perfect storm of workplace distraction.
The impact on working family caregivers is particularly striking. More than 23% report either missing work or struggling with reduced performance due to caregiving responsibilities. For those affected, caregiving can reduce work productivity by approximately one-third, translating to an estimated $5,600 per employee when annualized across all employed caregivers. This productivity loss primarily stems from the stress and fatigue that employees bring into their workday.
A Strategic Solution Emerges
Forward-thinking employers are addressing this challenge head-on with practical support systems. Magellan Healthcare’s EAP with Care Membership offers employees unlimited access to the world’s largest network of service providers, streamlining the process of finding and booking both short-term and long-term care for their loved ones.
This employer-paid benefit eliminates the hours employees typically spend searching for reliable caregiving support and household assistance. Instead of scrolling through endless online listings or making countless phone calls during work hours, employees can quickly access vetted professionals through a comprehensive platform.
The Care Membership service spans a full spectrum of family needs, including childcare providers, senior and disability caregivers, respite care, babysitters, housekeepers, errand services, tutors, and pet care professionals—all accessible via a website and mobile app.
Streamlined Process, Verified Results
The platform prioritizes both convenience and safety. Employees can search for qualified providers by location and filter results based on hourly rates, availability, experience levels, and specific qualifications. Every caregiver undergoes background screening before joining the platform, with additional background checks and safety resources available for employees who want extra assurance. There are referral specialists to help employees find the best candidates for their specific needs. Once employees find the right provider, they can easily arrange services and payment through the platform.
The Business Case for Care Support
The Care Membership program demonstrates an employer’s genuine commitment to work-life balance, moving beyond surface-level benefits to address real challenges employees face daily.
With this support system in place, stress-related absenteeism decreases when employees know their family responsibilities are professionally managed. Presenteeism diminishes as mental bandwidth previously consumed by caregiving coordination becomes available for work tasks.
Employee retention improves when workers feel truly supported in managing their complex lives.
When employees trust that their loved ones are in capable hands, they can fully invest their mental energy in their professional responsibilities. This creates a positive cycle where reduced stress leads to improved performance, reinforcing the value of the support system.
Investing in Care Membership represents more than just an employee benefit—it is a strategic decision that strengthens the entire workforce’s capacity to perform at its best. In today’s competitive talent market, this kind of meaningful support can differentiate employers who genuinely understand the realities of modern working life.
Learn more about Care Membership through Magellan’s EAP here.
Source:
- Fakeye, Samuel, Drabo, Bandeen-Roche and Wolff. (2022). “Caregiving-Related Work Productivity Loss among Employed Family and other Unpaid Caregivers of Older Adults.”
