As mental health continues to take center stage in the workplace, employers have made strides in offering support, but we can still improve in understanding who, exactly, needs help and how to reach them. Too often, mental health strategies overlook the people quietly carrying layered responsibilities outside of work: caregivers, older employees, and women navigating pivotal life and health transitions.
These groups aren’t niche. They make up a large share of the workforce, and their needs are shaping the future of employee well-being.
Mental health doesn’t have a retirement age
Workers aged 55 and older now comprise over 20% of the U.S. labor force, yet they remain an afterthought in many workplace mental health programs. While older workers may report better self-rated mental health than their younger peers, they’re also more likely to be navigating chronic pain, grief, or caregiving, and less likely to use digital tools that could help.
According to a recent Calm Health study—the “Work-Life-Health Balance Report,” a survey of 1,500 adults across the U.S. and U.K.—half of all workers reported at least one mental health concern.Furthermore, a study by the Aging Society Research Network found the impact of mental health on older workers in the lower income bracket is even more pronounced, with users aged 50 to 59 reporting nearly five days a month where their mental health is impacted. This is noticeably worse than even just 20 years ago.
Unfortunately, usage of workplace mental health resources among older workers remains low. Importantly, the issue isn’t unwillingness: Over 80% of workers overall said they would be open to using digital tools if offered, provided those tools are trustworthy, simple, and relevant. However, just 23% are actually aware they are offered this kind of tool.
To truly support older employees, employers must design for inclusion. That could mean creating low barriers to entry for support or framing support in ways that resonate with goals like independence and longevity. These small changes can boost digital engagement, reduce absenteeism, and help retain some of an organization’s most experienced talent.
The ‘sandwich generation’ of caregivers needs attention
One of the most overlooked experiences impacting employee mental health is caregiving. In Calm Health’s study, one in three workers reported a caregiving event in the past year. These experiences, whether related to aging parents, children, or partners, don’t stay neatly outside work hours.
The impact is profound: 65% of caregivers said they had to take time off or use leave due to caregiving responsibilities, and more than half reported reduced productivity, difficulty focusing, or needing coworkers to cover for them.
And yet, caregiving benefits remain rare. While these programs are rated among the most helpful of any workplace mental health resource, they are also among the least offered, representing a major gap in employer support.
With more workers falling into the “sandwich generation,” caring for both children and aging parents, addressing this need isn’t just compassionate, it’s strategic. Employers can start by offering flexible scheduling, mental health counseling, and content tailored for caregivers, or assistance navigating elder care. These investments not only improve employee well-being, but they also protect retention and productivity among a critical slice of the workforce.
Women shouldn’t have to suffer in silence
Another blind spot: women’s health. Experiences like pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause aren’t just physical; they carry emotional and psychological impacts that ripple into how women show up at work.
In the U.K., 56% of women said reproductive health events interfered with their ability to perform at their best, compared to 37% of women in the U.S. Yet, most employer mental health programs don’t address these transitions directly.
What’s needed in addition to evolved benefits is recognition. Training managers to respond with empathy, including supportive content or tools specific to women’s health stages—or normalizing conversations around the intersection of women’s health and mental health—can make a measurable difference in how supported employees feel.
Life doesn’t pause for work
In the past year alone, 78% of workers experienced at least one major life event, such as caregiving, illness, or a significant unexpected expense. And 44% said these events negatively impacted their work performance.
What’s more, many of the events with the greatest impact, like the death of a loved one or the illness of a family member, often go unsupported by workplace programs. Three in 10 workers report wanting mental health resources that their employers simply don’t offer.
If employers want to build resilient, future-ready teams, they must move beyond generic wellness programs, supporting the full spectrum of life experiences across age, gender, and caregiving status. Make sure you actually know your workforce and the unique needs they have. This requires tailored tools, empathetic leadership, and benefits that meet people where they are.
The mental health conversation is expanding. Workplace strategies have to do the same.
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