The 2025 Carents in the Workplace Report reveals the growing pressures faced by adults caring for ageing parents, and the impact this has on careers, wellbeing, and organisations.
Based on the experiences of more than 1,000 Carents across the UK, the report highlights how often these responsibilities remain hidden and the real costs of silence for both families and employers.
While not every Carent is in paid employment, those who balance caring with work face particularly tough choices. Many are reducing hours, stepping back from career progression, or leaving the workforce altogether.
Their stories shed light on an emerging challenge for society and the workplace, one that demands recognition and action.
A Growing Workforce Within the Workforce
New findings from our Carents in the Workplace Report, which gathered the experiences of over 1,000 adults caring for elderly relatives, highlight the extent of the pressures facing working carers.
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71% of Carents reported reducing hours, changing roles, or leaving work altogether because of caring duties.
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37% had to revise retirement plans, with many leaving earlier than planned due to financial or emotional strain.
Behind these statistics are hundreds of stories of adults stretched between professional commitments and family responsibilities, often without formal recognition or support.
The Cost of Silence
Carents often keep their struggles private, fearing that employers will not understand or that raising concerns might jeopardise their careers. Yet the silence carries real costs.
Employers themselves report the impact when experienced staff leave because caring responsibilities become overwhelming:
- 44% acknowledged a negative business impact when midlife staff departed.
- 67% reported significant knowledge gaps as experienced workers exited.
- 51% found it difficult to recruit staff with equivalent expertise.
- 45% needed to hire more than one replacement to cover a single leaver’s role.
This makes clear that caring is not only a personal issue but a workforce and economic one.
Why Recognition Matters
For too long, Carents have been the “hidden workforce,” quietly holding families together while employers, policymakers, and even peers overlooked their contribution. Recognition is the first step towards change.
By acknowledging the scale of working carers, employers and society at large can begin to design systems that protect both people and productivity.
Flexible policies, carer-friendly cultures, and access to trusted information all play a role.
Support That Makes a Difference
Carents.co.uk exists to meet this gap. Built as a free, dependable hub, it brings together:
- Practical tools such as eBooks, checklists, and guides to help manage emergencies, finances, NHS services, housing, and legal rights.
- Community connection through the Carents Lounge, an online space where carers can share real experiences and support one another.
- Trusted insight with research such as the Carents in the Workplace Report, shedding light on the realities of caring in today’s workplace and beyond.
Every piece of content follows NHS Information Standard principles, ensuring accuracy and accessibility.
Looking Ahead
Caring for elderly parents is a growing social reality, one that will shape the workforce, the economy, and the health of our communities for decades to come. Carents deserve recognition, resources, and respect for the role they play.
The 2025 Carents in the Workplace Report shares deeper findings from our research, highlighting the opportunities for employers to lead with empathy and inclusion.
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