Caring Across Generations: How Companies Can Support a Multi-Generational Workforce

This past summer was the first time the oldest members of the youngest generation, Generation Alpha, were eligible for summer jobs. 

That means that, for the first time, members of seven generations are working together simultaneously: Generation Alpha, Generation Z, Generation X, Millennials, Baby Boomers, the Silent Generation (also known as Traditionalists), and the Greatest Generation. Each group comes to work with its own challenges, including balancing work with providing care to family members.

This intergenerational diversity in the workplace presents a challenge for business leaders: How can we effectively engage a workforce with a wide range of values, beliefs, and attitudes shaped by unique experiences?

The traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach no longer works. Business leaders must develop creative, innovative solutions to address the diverse needs of seven distinct generations in the workforce. 

This task requires a thoughtful, strategic approach to engaging younger generations while also meeting the needs of older generations. Business leaders must create inclusive work environments that attract and retain talent while tackling the family care challenges faced by a rising intergenerational workforce.  

Implications of Family Care Challenges Across Generations 

Despite their differences and varying experiences, these seven generational groups share similarities, particularly in the challenges they face regarding family care.

In this article, we’ll explore a range of hypothetical scenarios that members of different generations may encounter and examine how these situations can manifest in various ways. It’s important to note that not all members of a generation will face these specific challenges; rather, these examples reflect actual instances of family care challenges currently impacting individuals across generations in the United States.  

The Impact of Family Care on Finances

Family care undoubtedly brings its own financial challenges. Across the U.S., parents are grappling with the rising costs of child care, which averaged $11,582 last year. Gen Z, with the oldest members turning 27 in 2024, and Millennials—many of whom live far from their extended families—are becoming parents and feeling the weight of high day care costs. These younger generations are increasingly looking to their employers for benefits or compensation to help them address these challenges.

However, the financial burdens do not stop with child care. Millennials and Gen Z parents are also expected to care for their aging parents. In fact, 72% of Gen Z members anticipate taking on caregiving roles in the future. This expectation places additional strain on their finances as they navigate their responsibilities.

A new trend known as the “Reverse Boomerang Effect” has emerged, where parents move in with their Millennial children due to insufficient retirement resources. This shift further strains the financial resources of these younger generations. 

Moving up the generational ladder, Baby Boomers and Gen Xers often find themselves in the “sandwich generation,” balancing caring for their elderly parents and their children. Many Baby Boomers (particularly those who are single or divorced) serve as the sole financial providers for their adult children and elderly parents. This dynamic can create significant financial strain for single Baby Boomers and lead to challenges in maintaining a multi-generational household.

Looking ahead, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 96.5% increase in the number of people over 75 years old in the labor force by 2030, mainly due to Baby Boomers aging into this category. This age group, which includes the youngest members of the Silent Generation and the Greatest Generation (now around 97 years old), comprises just 1% of the workforce.

The presence of the Silent and Greatest Generations is expected to decline significantly over the next six years. Many in these groups, shaped by pivotal historical events— including World War II and the Great Depression—are retired. However, some continue to work or have rejoined the workforce to cover medical expenses for an ill partner or support family members needing financial assistance.

The Impact of Family Care on Careers 

Career-driven employees are hungry for success, whether they’re seeking a promotion, upskilling, or taking on more projects to gain leadership opportunities.

For some Millennial, Gen X, and Gen Z parents, balancing the early stages of parenthood while establishing a career comes with its own challenges—the intersection of work and family care responsibilities can sometimes feel insurmountable.

In a first-person account penned for Forbes titled Figuring Out Work/Life Balance as a Professional and Mother, Patricia Duchene, a contributing writer for the publication, writes, “The number of women I know who have taken career breaks not because they wanted to, because they had to, is startling.”

The question is: Why do working parents have to choose between climbing the corporate ladder or taking care of their children? Why not do both?  

Exploring Family Care Benefits to Alleviate Financial Strain 

Business leaders recognize that family care offerings should extend beyond traditional parental benefits to maintain a competitive advantage. 

With fewer children being born and more people living longer, the focus has shifted to other forms of family care, including caring for elderly dependents.

SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, spoke with Alex Alonso, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, chief data and insights officer at SHRM, in a recent conversation titled “2024 Benefits Trends Virtual Retreat.” Alonso, who leads the organization’s intelligence, insights, and innovation functions, shared insights into the unique family care challenges faced by today’s generations.  

Alonso anticipates a new trend among employers toward more tailored programs to meet an intergenerational workforce’s unique family care needs.

“Gen Xers are the quintessential sandwich generation,” says Alonso. “What is sad is we’re probably the smallest generation in the workforce today. Being our size, we’re not the economic engine that the Baby Boomers were. Then you have the Millennials, the biggest demographic in the workforce, and they have to become the next biggest economic engine, but they’re at a stage where they don’t have children [as much as Gen X does]. What we’re going to start to see is that there will be a new movement amongst employers for adaptability in paid leave.”

To accomplish this successfully, leaders can maintain a consistent feedback loop by incorporating discussions about family care needs into regular in-person or virtual one-on-one meetings with their employees.

Leaders can initiate these essential conversations with their employees by asking them the following questions: 

• Are you currently struggling with any critical family care needs?

• Would you benefit from additional support or resources for caring for an elderly family member?

• Are our current leave policies (e.g., family leave and sick leave) sufficient to meet your family care needs?

• Would you find value in more tailored leave options, such as elder care or extended family leave? 

• Would you benefit from financial planning services tailored to managing family care expenses?

“I like focus groups to start, to get a broader sense of some ideas,” says Tom Hammond, vice president of strategy, partnerships, and business development at Paychex in Rochester, N.Y. “And then we go to deeper focus groups to get a sense of what is actually really going to be rewarding for a diverse population of employees.”

With this personal approach, business leaders can leverage insights to create laser-focused family care packages that meet the needs of a multi-generational workforce. 

How Remote Work and Flexible Hours Can Help 

The stakes for organizations are high as more Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X parents demand flexible work arrangements, such as remote or hybrid options and flexible hours, to balance their careers with raising children. Organizations have begun leveraging technology to support this shift. 

• With Gen Alpha’s formative learning disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the experience of remote learning, this younger generation has heightened expectations regarding work flexibility.

• For younger working parents, flexible hours enable them to manage daytime tasks—such as picking up their children from school or activities—and handle household duties such as grocery shopping, cleaning, and cooking.

• For the Silent Generation and the Greatest Generation, flexible working hours allow them to care for a sick spouse or spend more time with their grandchildren. 

“Data shows that hybrid work is becoming an increasingly common reality,” says Morgan Rentko, a research manager at The Harris Poll Thought Leadership Practice in Chicago. “Hybrid work is a preferred method for Generation Z.”

Business leaders can attract and retain talent by understanding what drives and inspires employees to excel in their careers. Creating an environment where employees feel heard and prioritized is essential.

“When developing remote work expectations and culture, it’s important for leadership teams to take an employee-first approach. The reality is, we spend the majority of our waking hours working, so it’s important to make work a great place to be,” says Sean Hoff, CEO and founder of Moniker, an award-winning corporate culture agency in Toronto that specializes in helping companies connect with their teams and top performers through imaginative corporate retreats, offsites, and engaging incentive trips around the globe.

“Employers play a vital role in helping employees navigate their caregiving challenges,” Hoff states. “We encourage everyone to block their calendars and take breaks often throughout the day as needed. Creating this flexibility in work schedules to accommodate employees’ caregiving responsibilities can help your teams better manage their time, reduce stress, and build loyalty.” 

Incorporating hybrid work policies—where employees come to the office a few days a week to collaborate and interact with colleagues—can create valuable opportunities for peer mentorship between younger and older employees, which can positively influence their career growth.

The Impact of Family Care Challenges on Employee Mental Health

In addition to the stress of meeting work deadlines and maintaining productivity, the intergenerational workforce is increasingly facing an invisible challenge: mental health issues stemming from the stress of family care responsibilities.

Caring for an elderly parent, an ill partner, or a child is no easy task. Despite an employee’s best efforts to show up and do their best at work, the stress of family care can affect how employees show up in the workforce, thus influencing productivity.  

According to the 2024 SHRM Employee Benefits Survey, organizations have seen an increase in mental wellness-focused benefits within the last few years. The standard offerings in health care packages have shifted significantly, transitioning from traditional health care offerings to those with a greater emphasis on mental health and wellness. 

According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, 40%-70% of caregivershave clinical symptoms of depression. 

Organizations can provide programs—including individual therapy, family counseling, and support groups—as preventive measures. 

Business leaders who want to create thriving, productive workplaces should consider the implications of these social nuances across generations and identify solutions to satisfy the mental health needs of a diverse workforce.  

In conclusion, it is essential to recognize that family care challenges are not limited to a single group. As the workforce continues to evolve, business leaders must continuously seek solutions that address the diverse needs of their employees, keeping in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that the list of solutions is not exhaustive but rather may need tailoring and constant tweaking depending on employees’ needs. This proactive approach will not only help alleviate some of the challenges associated with family care but also foster resilient organizations that attract and retain talent.