One in five employees is a family caregiver: what this means for your business

Caregiving generates an average annual cost of between €292,500 and €448,000 for a company with 500 employees—in the form of absenteeism and presenteeism not captured in HR dashboards (sources: Malakoff Humanis 2024; INRS 2024). In France, 4.5 million employees currently provide regular care to an elderly or disabled family member alongside their professional work—making employee caregivers the most underestimated impact on your organization (sources: France Travail, 2024; DREES, 2023).

This article breaks down each cost category and projects how the situation will worsen by 2030.
Key takeaways in 4 figures

• 4.5 million working caregivers in France (61% of the 9.3 million caregivers — DREES 2023)
• 1 in 5 workers today, 1 in 4 by 2030 (France Travail 2024)
• An average of 9.8 hours per week spent caring for a family member (Occurrence Barometer 2023)
• 75% do not disclose their situation to their employer (France Travail 2024)

What the Numbers Say — Employee Assistance Programs in Your Company Today

A massive yet invisible phenomenon

9.3 million people in France report providing regular care to a family member or friend who has lost their independence or has a disability (source: DREES, 2023). Of these, 61% are employed—that is, approximately 4.5 million working caregivers (source: France Travail, 2024).
In a company with 500 employees, this statistically represents between 80 and 100 people affected today or within the next 12 months.
This figure does not appear in any HR dashboard—because 75% of working caregivers do not disclose their situation to their employer, for fear of stigmatization or an impact on their career (source: France Travail, 2024).

A trend that's gaining popularity

The average age at which people begin providing care has dropped from 39 in 2021 to 33 in 2024 (source: Les Entreprises pour la Cité, 2025). It is no longer just older adults who are affected, but also 35-year-old managers and 30-year-old project managers who are in the midst of developing their skills. By 2030, one in four employees in your company will be a caregiver (source: France Travail, 2024).

The impact on your HR metrics

Absenteeism: A Silent Contributor

The absenteeism rate in the French private sector reached 5.1% in 2024, up 3% from 2023 (source: WTW Barometer 2025). The average duration of sick leave was 24.1 days per employee (source: APICIL Observatory / JLO Group 2025).
Among employees who took sick leave in 2024, 51% were family caregivers (source: Malakoff Humanis 2025). Employee caregivers devote an average of 9.8 hours per week to caring for a family member. 39% of caregivers report a negative impact on their professional activity (source: Ipsos-Macif survey, 2020).

Presenteeism: The Hidden Cost

57% of employees who are caregivers report facing difficulties (source: Occurrence/La Mutuelle Générale Survey, 2023). The cost of presenteeism is estimated at €2,740 per affected employee per year (source: Malakoff Humanis, 2024)—a figure that is structurally absent from HR dashboards.

Turnover: resignations without a stated reason

One-third of employees who are caregivers report working longer hours to compensate for a decline in productivity they themselves perceive (source: OCIRP, 2023). Less than 2% have had their work schedules adjusted. The cost of replacing an experienced employee ranges from 6 to 18 months’ salary, depending on the level of qualification (estimated range by INRS / Malakoff Humanis 2024).

Estimate the cost of employee assistance in your payroll

Estimate by company size

The table below provides a typical estimate, which should be refined using your internal data. Assumptions: 20% of employees are caregivers, of whom 65% experience absenteeism issues (× €4,500/year) and 57% experience presenteeism issues (× €2,740/year). Sources: Malakoff Humanis 2024.

Methodological note: These estimates are rough estimates. The actual figures depend on your industry, the age structure of your workforce, and your actual rate of . The cost of turnover is not included.

This situation will worsen by 2030

Demographics are working against you

The French population aged 75 and older will grow from 6.5 million today to 8.5 million in 2030 (source: INSEE). By 2030, 1 in 4 employees in your company will be a family caregiver—compared to 1 in 5 today (source: France Travail, 2024). Companies that have not established a support system by then will be reacting, not preventing.

A strengthening legal and social framework

Mandatory negotiations on quality of life at work are gradually incorporating caregiving into the scope of psychosocial risks that must be documented. From an employer branding perspective, candidates in their 30s and 40s now factor caregiving policies into their assessment of an employer, just as they did with family-friendly policies 15 years ago.

Warning signs to watch for in your HR data

• Increase in short-term absences (1–3 days) among employees aged 35–55
• Employees who have reduced their working hours without a specific reason
• Unexplained turnover among senior or experienced employees
• Decline in engagement detected in QWL surveys with no correlation to workload
• Requests for caregiver leave: have you received any requests in the last 24 months?
• Percentage of your employees with parents over the age of 75: statistically, this corresponds to your minimum exposure

What Autonomia offers your employees who are caregivers

When faced with a caregiving situation, your employees don’t need a toll-free number. They need someone who can handle the complexities on their behalf. Autonomia provides a dedicated advisor—a medical-social professional trained in care management—who contacts the employee within 48 hours, conducts a comprehensive assessment covering seven key aspects of home care, and implements concrete solutions: in-home care through the OuiCare network (over 900 agencies in France), home modifications, telecare, and assistance with APA, ARDH, and MaPrimeAdapt’ applications.

The employee remains fully productive at work. You receive aggregated and anonymized reports that comply with the GDPR.

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