From Childcare to Eldercare: How Companies Can Enhance Employee Well-Being

In Indonesia, caring for aging parents is often seen as a family responsibility, or even a “child’s duty.” But what if that child is a full-time employee, a mother of two, and the primary breadwinner for the family? Amid the demands of work and financial pressures, who is truly supporting elderly caregivers in the workplace?

As we approach National Family Day on June 29, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the role of family in workplace policies. While employer-supported childcare has been a topic of discussion, we must also consider the support needed for employees who are caring for their aging parents.

According to Harvard Business Review (2025), the aging population is creating a new crisis: an increasing number of workers are becoming caregivers for elderly parents. This is not just a phenomenon in developed countries. In Indonesia, life expectancy is rising, while elderly care services remain limited and often unaffordable for the majority of middle- to lower-class families. As a result, the responsibility falls back on families, particularly on working women.

Unfortunately, only a few companies recognize this as a strategic issue. Without support, employees may experience stress, burnout, and even consider resigning. The impact is clear: decreased productivity and the loss of valuable talent.

1. Boosting Productivity & Retention. Findings from Harvard Business School and AARP demonstrate that firms providing eldercare assistance experience significant drops in absenteeism and enhanced employee loyalty (HBS, 2019; HBR, 2025)
2. Promoting Gender Equality. Research indicates that women in caregiving roles are 73% more prone to leave their jobs, five times more likely to shift to part-time positions, and tend to take more time off for eldercare compared to their male counterparts (MyElder, 2023). In Indonesia, similar patterns are evident among informal female workers seeking flexible jobs to balance caregiving responsibilities (MicroSave & MoWECP, 2024).
3. Enhancing Company Reputation. With the growing emphasis on employer branding, organizations that prioritize eldercare become more attractive to the emerging workforce.

Some companies, such as Synchrony, Chobani, and Meta, have implemented eldercare leave, daily care subsidies, and counseling and referral services to support employees’ eldercare needs. They recognize that caregiving extends beyond childcare; it also involves honoring and supporting aging parents.

What Companies in Indonesia Can Do

• Introduce Special Leave for Eldercare: Establish a dedicated category of leave for eldercare, similar to parental leave.
• Offer Flexible Work Hours or Remote Options for Caregivers: Provide flexible working hours or remote work options for employees who are caregivers.
• Provide Eldercare Benefits or Subsidies for Elderly Daycare: Implement eldercare allowances or subsidies for elderly daycare services.
• Include Eldercare in Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): Integrate eldercare support into existing Employee Assistance Programs.
• Train Managers to be More Empathetic Towards Caregiving Employees: Equip managers with training to better understand and support employees who are caregivers.

The Indonesian government has developed a Care Economy Roadmap for 2025–2045, which explicitly includes elderly care and long-term care services. This roadmap prioritizes the elderly in strengthening the national welfare system and encourages the development of quality and inclusive services for older adults. It creates real opportunities for the private sector to align their internal policies—including workplace eldercare programs—with national development goals. Proactive companies will gain a strategic position as development partners and responsible social actors that cater to the future workforce’s needs.

National Family Day is not just about children. It’s time to view family holistically—recognizing aging parents and those who care for them. Caring for elderly parents is not merely a personal responsibility; it is integral to social sustainability and economic productivity. If companies have begun to support childcare, then eldercare should be the next step.

A truly family-friendly work environment is one that supports employees at every stage of life.

Written by Riesta Aldila, Project Officer for Employer Supported Childcare