Editor’s Note: Today’s post is by Kristal Gerdes. Kristal is is a Professor and Department Chair in the Hospitality & Technology Innovation Department at the University of Wisconsin–Stout. Her scholarly work centers on qualitative inquiry, with research interests spanning student learning and engagement, customer experience, caregiving in academia, and women’s and gender studies.

“Flexibility isn’t a perk. It’s a prerequisite for a sustainable career.”

Many faculty are simultaneously supporting aging parents, caring for young children, or helping teenagers navigate some of their most formative years, all while trying to meet the expectations of teaching, publishing, mentoring, and service. I’ve lived this dual reality myself. In my eighteen years as a university professor, I have raised two children, cared for aging parents, earned a doctorate, and worked my way through the tenure process. I’ve witnessed how caregiving shapes careers and influences the culture of academia. My research continually brings me back to this intersection, where professional expectations and personal commitments converge.

Today, nearly one in four adults serves as a caregiver, and 94% of them are supporting other adults. This caregiving population reflects increasing diversity in race, income, and generation, with nearly 30% navigating “sandwich generation” responsibilities by caring for both children and aging parents. Although adult day care remains one of the most affordable formal long-term care options, it still presents a substantial financial burden, with national costs averaging about $26,000 per year, nearly double the annual cost of childcare. That’s more than 30% of the median household income in the US (currently less than $84,000), adding additional pressures on that financial burden. For caregivers who also teach, the strain is even more pronounced; from grading papers at midnight to revising lesson plans on weekends and answering student emails during soccer practice, educators often find themselves living at the intersection of caregiving and academia.

A caregiver is someone, most often a parent or guardian, who provides ongoing, unpaid support to children, partners, aging parents, or others with health or daily living needs while balancing the demands of a career. In academia, this often means raising children while teaching, advising, and conducting research; managing school schedules, childcare arrangements, and extracurricular activities; or supporting aging parents from afar. It may also include coordinating medical care, therapy, or special services for family members all while sustaining high professional standards.

Caregiving doesn’t conform to predetermined schedules, adding another dynamic to our professional lives. Appointments may be rescheduled or canceled, and calls to insurance companies can be frustratingly complicated and time consuming. At any given moment, an episode could arise that requires your immediate attention and you are forced to drop everything for an emergency hospital visit.

Time is an invisible consideration for many who balance professional obligations with caregiving responsibilities. The time spent traveling to and from appointments, sitting in waiting rooms, or standing in line at the pharmacy could be mistaken as absenteeism or chronic lateness by unaware (or unforgiving) supervisors.  According to a 2022 report by the Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregivers, 53% of caregiving employees had to start work late or leave work early, 15% reduced work hours, while another 14% took a leave of absence. Travel time to and from appointments is also time away from professional commitments.

Caregiving in higher education and K-12 settings is both inspiring and exhausting. Flexibility in setting teaching schedules, conducting meaningful research, and nurturing deep student connections can help weave career and caregiving together. Yet, professional objectives that include the constant push to publish, secure grants, and meet promotion goals can clash with family demands. Although they may enjoy summers off, K-12 educators often have less flexibility, trying to manage workloads that spill well beyond the school day. Across all levels of education, caregiving doesn’t just shape how educators work, it shapes who they are, building empathy and resilience that enrich the learning environment.

As one faculty member, who transitioned from a demanding career in the hospitality industry to begin her academic journey, enthusiastically told me, “I honestly feel like I won the lottery. The flexibility and the chance to do meaningful work is incredible. But I’ve also realized that this flexibility doesn’t just magically exist. It’s something we must intentionally create, communicate, and continually nurture as a community.”

For many in academia, the decision to work is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. In her book, “Challenges of the Faculty Career for Women: Success and Sacrifice” Maike Ingrid Philipsen examined relationships existing between women faculty members’ personal and professional lives. She observed that the so-called “choice” to work is as false as choosing between shelter and food. Participants in a recent study by financial services firm Edward Jones emphasized that they enjoy both caregiving and their professional challenges. Some are primary financial providers; most have invested years and resources earning advanced degrees, making leaving the workforce unthinkable.

Flexibility as a Strategic Investment

“Supporting caregivers isn’t just human, it’s economic.”

Balancing work and family can be challenging, but the right degree of work-life flexibility can transform that challenge into something manageable and even rewarding. Work-life flexibility isn’t just a nicety it’s a game-changer, for individuals and organizations alike.

Many professionals note that while certain seasons of their jobs are demanding, periods of reduced intensity or flexible scheduling provide a critical opportunity to rest, reset, and reconnect with family. Over time, employees who build trust and tenure in their organizations often gain even more autonomy, including remote work options, flexible start and end times, or reduced travel all of which help balance professional and personal responsibilities.

Work schedules consistently emerge as a low-cost but high-impact factor in employee satisfaction and retention. When team members have a voice in shaping their schedules, adjusting hours to meet childcare needs, attending medical appointments, or carving out time for family milestones they report greater productivity, loyalty, and well-being. Conversely, inflexible schedules, rigid shifts, mandatory overtime, or heavy travel can heighten stress, erode morale, and lead to burnout.

Supporting caregivers isn’t just the right thing to do; it also makes strong economic sense. When employees must step away from their professional responsibilities to manage caregiving duties, the impact on their work can be substantial. Reduced availability, fragmented focus, and increased stress can all contribute to lower productivity. One analysis estimates that these caregiving-related interruptions can reduce productivity by roughly one-third, amounting to an average cost of about $5,600 per employee per year. Investing in caregiver support isn’t simply a benefit; it’s a strategic approach to sustaining a productive, engaged workforce.

A recent conversation with the department chair of Business at a comprehensive university reflected on the shift in perspective. The chair noted that the faculty who needed flexibility weren’t less committed. They were often the most loyal employees deeply invested in the mission because they felt seen and supported.

For employers, the takeaway is clear: flexibility is no longer a perk, it’s a strategic investment. Adaptable schedules, hybrid work models, and autonomy in project planning not only support caregivers but drive stronger performance and organizational loyalty.

Navigating Caregiving Conversations: A Framework for Employees and Supervisors

Even the most empathetic leader must balance compassion with accountability. That’s why proactive, transparent communication between caregivers and supervisors is essential. The following framework can help guide those conversations:

1. Discussing New Circumstances
   When a new caregiving responsibility arises from a family member’s illness, a sudden emergency, or a shift in home dynamics, initiate an early, honest conversation with your supervisor. Frame the situation factually (“My father was recently diagnosed and will need temporary support for treatments”) and come prepared with potential solutions (“Could I shift to a hybrid schedule for six weeks while things stabilize?”).
2. Revisiting Extended Circumstances
   Short-term caregiving can quickly evolve into long-term responsibility. These moments call for revisiting earlier arrangements. Be transparent about changes (“I initially thought my role would be short-term, but care needs are continuing”) and reaffirm your commitment to your work. This kind of discussion allows supervisors to adapt nimble operational strategies that consider existing deadlines, available resources, and coverage needs to sufficiently manage workloads.
3. Identifying Reasonable Accommodations
   Reasonable accommodations might include adjusted teaching loads, flexible office hours, temporary course reassignments, or access to paid caregiving leave. The goal is to ensure that employees can meet their professional goals without sacrificing health or family stability.

As one mid-career scholar teaching in the sciences reflected on the discussion with her department chair regarding reasonable accommodations, “I was contemplating if academia was the right path for my career, when I finally had that conversation with my chair. I realized we both wanted the same thing: for me to stay engaged, healthy, and productive. The solution wasn’t perfect, but it worked.”

Building Caregiver-Conscious Cultures

Work-life flexibility is no longer optional, it’s fundamental. For academic institutions, embracing hybrid models, flexible scheduling, and caregiver-friendly benefits isn’t just about empathy; it’s about sustainability. These policies protect productivity, performance, and institutional health.

Redefining success means rejecting the idea that work, and caregiving must exist in conflict. For many of us, caregiving isn’t something that happens outside our academic roles, it is deeply interwoven with how we teach, advise, research, lead, and connect with others. Through my own eighteen years in academia, raising children, caring for aging parents, earning a doctorate, and advancing through tenure, I’ve learned that caregiving doesn’t detract from professional excellence. It often strengthens it, cultivating empathy, resilience, and purpose.

When institutions recognize caregiving as part of academic life rather than a disruption to it, the narrative shifts. Conversations replace assumptions. Flexibility replaces rigidity. Policies reflect real lives. And caregiving is seen not as a barrier to achievement, but as a reflection of it. Redefining success means creating space for both care and contribution, because thriving in academia should not require choosing between the two.