Burnout is one of the biggest threats to workforce performance—and nearly every employer knows it. But knowing burnout is a problem isn’t the same as knowing who it’s hitting hardest.

Here’s what most employers are missing:

Burnout isn’t randomly distributed. It hits working parents and caregivers first—and often hardest.

These employees are managing double workloads, navigating complex care systems, and sacrificing their own health and well-being to keep their families afloat. And unless you have a way to spot them, you won’t see the problem until they’ve gone out on leave, left the workforce, or hit a health crisis.

 

Burnout isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a business risk

Burnout is more than just being tired. It’s a state of total exhaustion—physical, emotional, and mental. It shows up when someone is overwhelmed to the point that it’s affecting their health, their productivity, and their ability to care for others.

When caregiving responsibilities are unsupported, employees are left to manage a second full-time job without backup. They’re juggling doctor’s appointments, mental health crises, eldercare emergencies, and childcare gaps—all while trying to meet deadlines. The result? Burnout.

Burnout doesn’t just affect the individual—it affects your business:

• Productivity drops
• Absenteeism and sick days increase
• Engagement and retention plummet
• Healthcare costs rise

You may be offering mental health benefits or wellness programs, but if your most at-risk employees can’t access them—or don’t even know they exist—they won’t help.

 

You can’t fix what you can’t see

To stop burnout before it starts, employers need visibility. That’s where Cleo’s Family Health Index comes in.

It’s the only tool on the market that gives you a real-time, quantitative look at the mental, physical, and emotional health of the parents and caregivers in your workforce. You’ll see where support is breaking down, where risks are rising, and where to intervene early—before burnout becomes a business disruption.

The best part about supporting the caregivers in your organization is that, through meeting their unique needs, employers end up supporting 100% of their employees.

Employers need to connect the dots between caregiving, stress, and burnout—and need support to act on it. With human-led support and data-backed insights, Cleo can help employers take meaningful action to support caregivers and protect their workforce. Get in touch to learn more.