Have you ever heard of the Sandwich Generation? You might be in it: It’s anyone simultaneously caring for their children and adult parents. So count me as a card-carrying member!
But the thing is, those in the throes of all these caregiving responsibilities are often struggling. A LOT. According to a recent study from the University of Phoenix and Motherly:
- 51% of working moms in the Sandwich Generation have left a job due to caregiving responsibilities.
- 66% say the benefits offered by their employers aren’t enough to meet their needs.
- 30% say they don’t have time to access the resources currently available to them anyway!
These are real business (and human!) challenges. And addressing them is not only good for people, but critical for business. According to Chief Strategy and Customer Officer at University of Phoenix (and coincidentally, a classmate of mine at the Kellogg Graduate School of Business), Ruth Veloria, “As more employees take on dual caregiving roles, overlooking these challenges could result in widespread attrition, disengagement, and lost leadership potential.”
Here is what Great Human Leaders can do to retain the Sandwich Generation. Hint: just adding mustard or mayo wont do the trick.
Give them a break (a real one!)
Almost two thirds of Sandwich Moms’ sick time/PTO is used for caregiving and three quarters take time off “multiple times a year for unexpected eldercare needs.” Great human companies get creative about separating caregiving time off from a true vacation. At AT&T, managers are given up to 15 days per year specifically to care for ailing relatives (and this time is separate from their vacation and personal sick days).
Curate connections to other Sandwich Generation employees
It takes a village, and their peers can help. Research shows that “Many sandwich gen employees cite feeling stressed (59%), frustrated (36%), or isolated (29%) at much higher rates than their non-sandwich peers.” Great Human Leaders create space for Sandwich Gen employees to connect with each other. An ERG/PRG will help them discover they are not alone, and that they can share resources.
Take professional development personally
Just because the Sandwich Gen employees are really busy doesn’t mean they don’t want to grow and develop. But “35% often skip networking or career-enhancing activities, compared to 24% of non-sandwich moms” and “57% feel trapped in their jobs due to lack of qualifications or time to upskill.” Great Human Leaders need to design creative ways to upskill this group, e.g make it during the work day; bite-size, micro-learning; and/or asynchronous development. Ask THEM how they want to develop!
Whether you’re in the Sandwich Generation right now or not, almost all of us, at some point, will pass through it. So we may as well design workplaces that not only account for the messy middle, but also support those employees going through it.
And if you’re a leader at an organization who already has support systems in place for this, I’d love to hear about it.
6/10/25
