PEOPLE Magazine in collaboration with Great Places to Work just published its annual “Companies That Care” issue ranking organizations that combine corporate culture and philanthropic interests along with employee benefits that engage their workforce.

I analyzed the list and found among the Top 100 were seven companies noted for supporting family caregivers and caregiver wellness or activities to help older adults through programs, volunteer and charitable efforts. These are what I call not just “care aware” companies but “caring culture” workplaces.

Key Takeaways in this Article:

• Workplaces are changing and needing to accommodate lifespan caregiving – from first time parents to senior care support.
• People Magazine highlights 7 companies that achieve “caring culture” workplace status where employee programs and volunteerism focus on Sandwich Generation caregiving and older adult care.

Many employers realize caregiver benefits and recognition for lifespan caregiving are table stakes for successful recruitment and retention. Consider this:

• 1 in 5 employees are caring for an older loved one
• 1 in 3 care for a child (also known as parenting)
• 53% are caring for both children and older loved ones simultaneously known as the  “sandwich generation.”

BRAVO to these caring companies

(Overall PEOPLE Magazine ranking number listed below):

#8 Veterans United Home Loans – Helped a U.S. Army veteran mother of 4, one child with sickle cell disease, pay off her mortgage.

#13 Plante Moran – WorkFlex program places ambassadors in every office to help with caregiver guidance. They have partnered with Homewatch CareGivers to create a caregiving webinars.

#18 Edward Jones – Since 2016, Edward Jones has helped raise $55 million as National Presenting Sponsor for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Association®’s care, support and research.

#22 American Express – Programs such as Healthy Minds employee mental health as well as support groups like family caregivers where executive leadership share their experiences normalizes what can be seen as a stigma in the workplace. I have been honored to do webinars for AMEX employees on various caregiving topics.

#27 The Wonderful Company (POM, Fiji Water, Telaflora) – Its Wonderful Health & Wellness program includes free health services, therapy and connections to social services for employees and their families including older parents. There is also a mobile health clinic and on-site health stations in plants and orchards for virtual doctor visits.

#69 SCAN – SCAN quickly identified more than 5,500 members in the fire zones during the Southern California wildfire disaster in Jan, 2025. They reached out with live assistance and used a mobile medical van to do basic health checks for seniors affected by the fires.

#97 Cadence – The company has Global Recharge Days, giving employees dedicated time each month to step back and reset. This recognizes caregiver burnout and a need for respite breaks for caregiver wellness.

Here is hoping that next year’s rankings include even more caring culture companies.

“It’s about going from a ‘care aware’ company to a ‘caring culture’ workplace and it starts at the top. If “caring” is not one of the values a company lists in its mission statement, then it does not place an emphasis on supporting stakeholder employees in their caregiving responsibilities nor care for its customers.”

–Sherri Snelling, corporate gerontologist and consultant to companies on caregiving in the workplace

FAQs

Q:         How many employees are also family caregivers – essentially working two full-time jobs?

A:          The 2025 “Caregiving in the U.S.” report from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP recognized that 7 in 10 of all caregivers also hold jobs – meaning that 44 million of the 63 million family caregivers are working and caregiving at the same time.

Q:         What are some of the benefits or programs to support caregivers in the workplace that are part of a caring culture?

A:          Caregiving support in the workplace is not a “one-size-fits-all” or checklist solution. It has to be ingrained in the values of the company and receive support from the top – the CEO and the C-suite. Some of the best practices of caring culture companies includes:

• Care navigation – Access to a senior care expert who can triage an employee’s caregiving challenge and needs and connects he/she to trusted resources and help.

• Caregiving education – Ongoing communication about caregiving and the many facets of a fragmented long-term-care world that employees have to navigate. Whether it is webinars, workshops, online information and checklists – anything that helps direct the caregiver to help he/she prepare to care.

• Flex time – Companies are encouraging a full-time return to work but flex time is still essential for employees who are caregivers. Acknowledging this need is crucial because it is a need not just a desire. Almost all employees will be a caregiver at some point during their work life so it is not seen as only offering help to one group – becoming a caregiver while working is not an “If” but a “When” proposition.

• Executive and Supervisor Training – Interpersonal skills building for managers and supervisors on communication, body language and resources that help struggling employees.

• Recognition via Storytelling – Anytime the CEO or a high-level executive shares their caregiving story, it creates a safe cocoon for employees to feel this is a trusted place where caregiver stigma is not allowed. Stories like Brad Wilson, CEO of Care.com who shared his caregiving story with Fast Company, helps employees know they are not alone.

©2026 Sherri Snelling