S1Ep227 Transforming Culture Through Caregiving in the Workplace with Sue Ryan

Caregiving in the workplace is a conversation too few leaders are having—and it’s costing businesses more than they realize. Hidden behind turnover rates, disengaged employees, rising healthcare costs, and inconsistent performance is a workforce silently struggling to manage dual roles. Employees at every level, from entry-level staff to the C-suite, are balancing the demands of their careers while caring for aging parents, children with special needs, or loved ones facing health challenges. Yet most organizations aren’t equipped to support them, and many employees never speak up.

Sue Ryan, Chief Inspirationalist and a strategist for workplace caregiving solutions, brings this challenge into sharp focus. Drawing from over 30 years of personal caregiving experience and professional leadership, Sue shines a light on what she calls the workforce blind spot—an exponentially growing crisis that's costing U.S. businesses an estimated $33 billion annually in lost productivity and turnover. The issue isn’t just personal—it’s systemic. And it’s avoidable.

As the U.S. population ages rapidly, with those over 65 set to outnumber those under 18 by 2030, the pressure on working caregivers is increasing fast. The fastest-growing demographic in the country is now adults over 85. This demographic shift is creating ripple effects in every industry, affecting employee well-being, engagement, and long-term retention. Leaders who ignore this trend risk falling behind—not just in compassion, but in performance.

Supporting caregiving in the workplace doesn’t mean overhauling business models or adding burdensome policies. In fact, many solutions already exist within organizations; they just haven’t been adapted to meet this need. Sue breaks down how simple shifts in culture—starting with top-level leadership—can make a meaningful difference. It begins with normalizing the conversation. When employees feel safe acknowledging their caregiving responsibilities, it opens the door to flexibility, planning, and improved collaboration.

Business leaders often assume caregiving is an HR issue. That’s a costly mistake. When the executive team leads with clarity and openness, human resources can activate systems, provide training for managers, and integrate caregiving into team planning and scheduling. But without visible, top-down acknowledgment, the conversation stalls before it ever starts. Employees who can’t speak up often leave, taking their skills and institutional knowledge with them.

Sue also draws attention to what she calls the “sandwich generation”—employees, often in their 40s or 50s, who are supporting both aging parents and dependent children while maintaining full-time roles. These team members bring valuable experience and insight to their companies, but their capacity is being stretched thin. Ignoring their reality leads to burnout, disengagement, and missed opportunity.

Normalizing caregiving in the workplace can be as straightforward as updating onboarding conversations, creating safe spaces for disclosure, and encouraging leadership to model openness. Organizations like Deloitte, Starbucks, and Amazon are already seeing measurable results from acknowledging and addressing this reality—improvements in productivity, employee satisfaction, and retention. The shift doesn’t require large financial investments—it requires intention.

Companies already have many of the operational, legal, and financial structures in place to support this evolution. The missing piece is leadership. When executives set the tone, the culture follows. It becomes easier for teams to adapt, cross-train, and collaborate in ways that support both business goals and employee well-being.

This is more than a human resources initiative—it’s a business growth