Many people who are in the workforce are also caregivers; to put it another way, many caregivers also work. This dual responsibility has many important implications, both for the caregiver and for the employer. According to Statistics Canada, there were 8.1 million Canadians who provided unpaid care to an individual in 2012, and those numbers have likely increased. Of those 8.1 million caregivers in the workplace, 70% worked primarily full-time; this means that a significant number of caregivers are affected by the double stressors of both full-time employment and caregiving. The resulting stress can be physical, emotional, and financial for both caregivers and employers.

What struggles do caregivers face? What impact does this have?

Responsibilities, stress, and time spent caregiving can negatively impact a caregiver’s physical, psychological, and emotional health. According to the Government of Canada, 74% of caregivers provide nine hours or less of caregiving per week, while 16% provide 10-29 hours, and 10% provide 30 hours or more. The more time a person spends caregiving, the more their health and wellness can be negatively affected.

Emotional and psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and isolation, are common in working caregivers. They may also experience anger, frustration, irritability, unhappiness, or disrupted sleep. This can affect their performance both at work and while caregiving. Physically, caregivers are more likely to sustain an injury from their caregiving responsibilities and are more likely to seek medical help from prescribed medication to cope with responsibilities.