Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Anyone caring for an elderly parent knows the emotional strain of balancing family needs with work. 

Many boomers feel frustrated because they see little room for error when it comes to securing a monthly paycheck and helping support a family member with chronic illness. 

Yet, some confines are lifting, especially in the workplace. About 75 percent of employers offer paid or unpaid time off for employees to provide elder care without jeopardizing their jobs, according to a Families and Work Institute study of employers with 100 or more workers.

The frequency of leave is perhaps an indication that "decision makers in organizations are typically older and more likely to experience elder care issues ... and thus may be more sensitive to providing help to others who have similar needs," they study said. 

Caregivers can be all ages, but the majority are middle-aged, between 35 and 64, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance. 

Give and Take
The consequences of eldercare are often shared by workers and employers alike. Caregiving can hurt workers' earnings power if they scale back to part-time employment or choose to retire early.

In the end, employees' retirement savings and discretionary spending are both reduced. Employers, meanwhile, often find that caregiving can take a negative toll on productivity and absenteeism. 

While elder care leave is not specifically required by the federal Family Medical Leave Act, "family leave for seriously ill family members" is, according to the institute. Small and large employers were equally likely to allow workers time off to provide elder care, the study found.

In addition, about 31 percent provide employees with information about elder care services. Another 23 percent offer assistance plans that enable workers to pay for certain dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars. 

The type of employer also may have some bearing upon the leave a worker is granted. For example, nonprofit organizations are more likely to offer generous caregiving leaves than for-profit groups.

Organizations with "racial or ethnic minorities" in senior positions also have a greater tendency to extend generous leaves than companies without. And professional service firms and organizations in finance, insurance and real estate are more likely to offer a high level elder care assistance than those in wholesale and retail sales or in the goods-producing sector.