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Work and caregiving: Does HR measure the stress of caregiving? Or only the absenteeism?

10 November 2026 - Written by Marit Laan

In short

  • According to the SCP, more than one in three workers combine their job with caregiving. Nearly a quarter of them experience difficulties when combining work and caregiving.
  • Absenteeism is often an early sign that this combination is not working well. Earlier insight into factors such as regular breaks, recovery, and experienced support can be valuable.
  • When mapping out needs, it helps to focus on work conditions, rather than on medical details or definitions of caregiving.
  • Flexibility and support from the organization are strongly linked to a better work-life balance, with customization often working better than a one-size-fits-all standard solution.

Today is the Day of Home Care. A good time to reflect on a theme that often remains invisible in the workplace: the combination of work and care responsibilities at home.

Why combining work and caregiving is a matter of attention right now

The SCP (Social and Cultural Planning Bureau) expects that the pressure on caregivers will increase by 2040 due to aging populations, longer periods of living at home, and a smaller number of potential helpers. Current CBS figures from September 17, 2026 show that the number of workers up to the AOW age has hardly grown over the past two years, while the rest of the population has increased, mainly due to more AOW beneficiaries.

With an aging workforce, the combination of work and care is becoming an increasingly important consideration for employers. They also make clear why the combination of work and care is a structural personnel issue. According to the SCP, groups that are expected to have greater labor participation, such as women and older workers, are also relatively often potential caregivers.

The situation varies greatly from one employee to another. On average, working caregivers spent approximately 4.5 hours per week helping relatives in 2024. The average number of (caregiving) hours does not say much about sudden hospital appointments, nighttime care, or a prolonged period in which someone must be available constantly. In addition to the number of work hours, predictability and the associated emotional burden (how hard caregiving is experienced) also play important roles.

Understanding the work-care balance

The question “Do you provide care for someone?”seems to be a logical starting point for an HR inventory, but in practice it does not always provide the best insight. People do not always identify with that term. Moreover, the medical background of a relative is not directly relevant to HR.

Understanding the overall work-care balance is therefore important. This can be made visible through employee surveys. Examples of questions include:

  • The extent to which employees experience flexibility to take unexpected (care) leave;
  • The predictability of schedules and working hours;
  • The experienced support of managers and colleagues;
  • The awareness of existing leave schemes.

These can usually be best used as neutral positions such as “My working hours provide sufficient space to combine work and (private) care duties.” They are asked questions. This gives you reliable information that the organization can actually use to take action.

The role of a supportive work environment

The Netherlands has formal arrangements such as short- and long-term care leave. However, the fact that these arrangements are included in the personnel handbook does not always mean that they are used easily. Employees may be reluctant for fear of burdening colleagues further or because they think it affects their career.

Studies show that support from the organization is strongly linked to a more positive work-life balance. A culture of openness about these (work-life) challenges can significantly lower the threshold for taking a temporary step back.

Space for customization

Because every care situation is different, from sudden nighttime care to regular hospital visits, one fixed policy often isn’t enough. Tailor-made solutions are the answer.

This could include 1. temporarily changing working hours, 2. the possibility of working (more) at home, or 3. temporarily adjusting the workload. For managers, it helps to focus especially on supporting work-life balance in discussions about these issues and to openly discuss them: what temporary barriers does the employee experience and what practical adjustments are possible in this regard?

Conclusion

The combination of work and caregiving is a growing issue. From a demographic perspective alone, this increase is likely for organizations. Therefore, it is useful (and perhaps even necessary) for employers to proactively address this issue. In any case, by making it transparent, but especially by providing the right support in a timely manner. Simply recording it in procedures is insufficient here: There must be sufficient attention (and insight) at the individual level to monitor and maintain the balance. Therefore, ensure that managers have the space to make appropriate arrangements with employees.

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