As caregiving becomes increasingly widespread in the workplace, companies are discovering a reality that has long remained hidden: mental load, exhaustion, absenteeism, disengagement, and unexpected resignations. Christine Lamidel, CEO and founder of Tilia, sheds light on the blind spots surrounding this social issue and its very real consequences for organizations.
What is Tilia’s mission today when it comes to companies and employees who are caregivers?
Tilia’s primary goal is to help companies better support employees who are caregivers while providing them with practical solutions to ease their daily lives.
Tilia was founded in 2017 following an internal call for projects within the BNP Paribas Group aimed at promoting impact-driven initiatives. At the time, I was Head of Digital Communications at BNP Paribas Wealth Management. As a caregiver myself, I wanted to raise awareness about caregiving situations experienced by many employees, often behind the scenes, and create practical solutions that would save them time and make certain aspects of daily life easier.
Today, Tilia, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, supports not only employees within the Group but also organizations of all sizes. We start from a clear observation: one in five employees has already experienced one or more caregiving situations, and by 2030, this figure is expected to rise to one in four. Yet these situations remain largely invisible, and six out of ten caregivers do not even realize they are caregivers.
Our role is therefore twofold. First, we help companies better understand this reality by creating an overview of caregiving within their organizations through anonymous surveys and interviews. This allows us to map needs, anticipate future developments, and create appropriate action plans. Second, we provide concrete recommendations: awareness initiatives, training for managers and HR teams, the creation of working groups, and the implementation of caregiver support agreements.
At the same time, Tilia also offers direct services to employee caregivers. The solution takes the form of an app featuring tools such as a shared calendar with loved ones for organizing tasks, a daily logbook for monitoring visits from home care providers, personal assistants for finding service providers and scheduling appointments, and a simulator that facilitates access to financial and social support.
Why do employees who are caregivers remain so invisible in the workplace?
Over the past ten years, I have observed a real shift in perceptions around this issue. Just a few years ago, HR departments believed caregiving situations affected only a very limited number of employees. This is no longer the case: awareness of these challenges is growing, and organizations are becoming more proactive in offering solutions. However, caregiver employees do not necessarily benefit from existing support systems.
Many barriers remain, beginning with the fear of stigma. Employees who are also caregivers are still associated with numerous stereotypes: they are perceived as less focused, less available, and less committed. These perceptions discourage people from speaking openly and contribute to keeping the issue hidden.
As caregiving responsibilities continue to increase and multiple caregiving becomes more common, it is becoming urgent to break this taboo and provide employees with the means to seek support without fear of speaking up.
We also see that much depends on managers. However, managers themselves need a clear framework to prevent unequal treatment. This highlights the need to shift management culture toward greater inclusion and create company policies genuinely adapted to these situations.
What does your barometer reveal about the everyday reality experienced by employees who are caregivers?
Our “Caregiving and Work” barometer, conducted every three years, reveals that employee caregivers primarily suffer from a lack of time. Many are forced to work part-time, which can jeopardize their financial security, especially since caregiving often involves significant out-of-pocket expenses, such as funding home care services or purchasing specialized equipment. There is therefore a genuine financial challenge at stake.
The study also shows that 78% of working caregivers report suffering from chronic fatigue, with an increased risk of burnout and depression. This fatigue also affects their professional lives, particularly their concentration at work and even their exposure to road accidents.
These difficulties are widely shared among caregivers and are often accompanied by a strong sense of isolation linked to the role itself. Employee caregivers navigate professional and personal demands every day. Without adequate support, this burden becomes a psychosocial risk factor.
At what point do companies understand that caregiving is also a human and organizational issue?
Our research provides concrete insights into the impact of caregiving in the workplace. It gives a voice to all stakeholders and enables a better understanding of how these situations affect work. Caregivers can express their expectations and needs, whether that means flexibility, financial support, or simply better access to information and existing resources. These are not unreasonable demands.
Tilia implements impact measurement systems within the companies it supports. Results show that 79% of beneficiaries recognize their role as caregivers during awareness workshops, 78% report reduced stress through the use of Tilia’s personal assistance services, and 72% feel they save time.
Absenteeism, disengagement, long-term leave, and unexpected departures: the cost of unsupported caregivers can be significant, even though it often remains largely invisible. On the other hand, when their situation is acknowledged, companies benefit both from improved quality of working life and stronger long-term performance.
Finally, 69% report having a more positive perception of their company when their caregiving situation is acknowledged. This demonstrates that beyond the social dimension, supporting employee caregivers is also a genuine human and organizational challenge for businesses.
What is still missing in France for better recognition and support of employees who provide care?
Today, support systems exist in France, but they are still insufficiently promoted. HR departments are not always well informed about these issues, and managers are not systematically trained to identify situations requiring support. Yet managers may notice unusual behavioral changes in employees and should be able to initiate conversations when needed.
This is even more important because today, 30% of caregivers provide multiple forms of care simultaneously, meaning they support several relatives at once—for example, their children and elderly parents.
Some progress has nevertheless been made, particularly through the introduction of compensation for caregiver leave. However, companies can no longer treat caregiving solely as a private matter or something that affects only a small minority of employees.
It is essential to empower colleagues to understand and anticipate this reality, especially considering that almost everyone believes they are likely to become caregivers themselves within the next five years.
This is an issue that companies must address proactively.
This issue concerns all of us.
