The Hidden Workforce Problem: Your Employees Are Worried About Ageing Parents
One in eight working Australians is also an informal carer — mostly for elderly parents. The distraction, absenteeism, and presenteeism this creates costs Australian employers billions annually. There is now a simple, affordable solution.
Offering daily check-in calls for employees’ elderly parents as a subsidised workplace benefit is one of the lowest-cost, highest-impact things an employer can do to support working carers.
The Working Carer Problem in Detail
According to Carers Australia, the approximately 2.65 million Australians providing informal care to elderly, ill, or disabled family members contribute an estimated $77.9 billion in unpaid care annually. Of these, a significant proportion are employed — and their caring responsibilities create measurable impacts in the workplace.
Absenteeism
Working carers take an average of 6 additional weeks of leave per year beyond standard entitlements (Carers Australia 2024). This includes emergency leave when a parent has a fall or health event, planned absences for appointments, and stress-related sick leave. For employers, this is a predictable but largely unaddressed cost.
Presenteeism
Many working carers are physically at work but mentally managing a parallel crisis: Has Mum taken her medication? Did Dad answer the phone when I called this morning? Should I ring the neighbour? A Deloitte Access Economics report estimates presenteeism costs significantly more than absenteeism in aggregate, as it is harder to measure and easier to overlook.
Retention and resignation
Carers Australia estimates that approximately 3% of Australian working carers reduce their hours or leave employment entirely each year due to caring responsibilities. For mid-career employees — often high-performers in their 40s and 50s — this is a significant talent drain that employers rarely attribute to eldercare.
The Eldercare Benefit: What It Looks Like
A KindlyCall corporate eldercare benefit allows employees to set up daily AI wellness check-in calls for their elderly parents — with the cost subsidised or fully covered by the employer. The operational model is straightforward.
Employer sets up billing
The company pays for a plan tier per eligible employee. No complex procurement or IT integration required.
Employee sets up their parent
The employee adds their parent’s phone number and preferred call time. Takes 5 minutes. Their parent doesn’t need a device or app.
Employee’s parent gets daily calls
KindlyCall rings at the same time every day. The employee gets a dashboard and SMS alerts — and can work without worry.
Cost comparison: The benefit vs the problem
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| 1 day of employee absenteeism (average salary basis) | ~$350–$500 |
| KindlyCall Daily plan for 1 employee’s parent (per month) | $39/month |
| KindlyCall Essential plan (3 calls/week, per month) | $19/month |
| ROI break-even (days of absenteeism saved per year) | Less than 1 day |
Simple Rollout for HR Teams
KindlyCall requires no IT integration, no procurement process, and no complex eligibility management. A company can offer this benefit to employees in a single afternoon.
Decide on the subsidy model
Full subsidy (employer covers 100% of cost for eligible employees) or partial subsidy (employer covers 50%, employee tops up). Most companies start with the Essential plan ($19/month) as the subsidised tier.
Set eligibility criteria
Typically: permanent full-time or part-time employees with an elderly parent living independently in Australia. Some companies extend to disability carers. Keep it simple — complex eligibility creates admin burden.
Communicate to staff via existing channels
Include in your benefits handbook, intranet, or HR newsletter. Frame it as part of your carer support policy, which many companies are now required to address under the Fair Work Act’s expanded carer provisions.
Employees self-enrol and set up independently
Each employee creates their own account and sets up their parent’s details. The employer is billed via a simple monthly invoice. No data about the employee’s family is shared with the employer.
Individuals and organisations welcome. No credit card required for the free trial.
Give Them Connection. Give Yourself Peace of Mind.
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