Caregiving Emerges as Measurable Business Risk

ELIXR launches new system to help companies identify and manage caregiving-related workforce challenges

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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As the number of working caregivers continues to rise, companies are recognizing that caregiving is no longer an exception affecting a small segment of workers, but an operating condition shaping workforce availability, continuity, and performance. ELIXR, a workforce consulting firm, has launched a new system called CareConscious to help organizations identify and manage the growing impact of caregiving on their business.

Why it matters

Caregiving has historically remained outside the scope of workforce strategy, despite its significant costs to both employees and employers. By treating caregiving as a measurable business condition rather than just a benefits issue, companies can better integrate care realities into workforce planning, productivity expectations, and leadership development. This is especially critical for mid-career professionals, who often face the 'squeeze' of balancing child care, elder care, and rising career demands.

The details

More than 60% of family caregivers are employed, meaning caregiving is no longer an exception affecting a small segment of workers but an operating condition shaping availability, continuity, and performance. Its implications extend beyond human resources to core business functions, influencing labor supply, productivity, and leadership continuity. Many companies have responded by expanding benefits, but ELIXR argues this often misses the structural nature of the issue. Treating caregiving as a measurable business condition allows companies to integrate care realities into workforce planning and performance expectations.

  • On February 18, 2026, ELIXR formally launched CareConscious, its new workforce system.
  • Over the next five years, 78 million people are projected to become caregivers.

The players

ELIXR

A workforce consulting firm that has launched the CareConscious system to help companies identify and manage the impact of caregiving on their business.

Jess Ringgenberg

The managing partner and cofounder of ELIXR.

Elle Lebourg

The managing partner and cofounder of ELIXR.

Jennifer Sabatini Fraone

The former executive director of the Boston College Center for Work & Family.

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What they’re saying

“Caregiving was never a part of strategy or organizational operations.”

— Jess Ringgenberg, Managing Partner and Cofounder, ELIXR

“Caregiving is a measurable business condition, not a benefits issue.”

— Elle Lebourg, Managing Partner and Cofounder, ELIXR

“In 20 years of researching and partnering with leading corporations, I've seen how often organizations underestimate the cumulative impact of caregiving and parenting in the workforce.”

— Jennifer Sabatini Fraone, Former Executive Director, Boston College Center for Work & Family

What’s next

Over the next five years, as the number of caregivers in the workforce is projected to grow to 78 million, organizations will need to move beyond reactive policies and toward systems that generate decision-grade workforce data on the impact of caregiving.

The takeaway

By treating caregiving as a measurable business condition rather than just a benefits issue, companies can better integrate care realities into workforce planning, productivity expectations, and leadership development, helping to stabilize performance and retain critical talent in the face of rising caregiving demands.