Supporting the sandwich generation: How HR can build a more flexible, family-inclusive benefits programme

More employees than ever are caring for ageing parents while raising children — often without talking about the strain they’re under. This “sandwich generation” is quietly navigating unpredictable commitments, emotional pressure and fragmented support systems, and many are doing it while trying to stay present and productive at work.

With carer-friendly legislation now firmly embedded — including statutory (unpaid) carer’s leave and day-one flexible working (both introduced April 2024)— organisations are reassessing how well their benefits reflect the realities of modern family life

At Avantus, we believe meaningful support comes from combining empathetic workplace culture with accessible, flexible benefits technology. Through our FlexGenius platform, organisations can give sandwich-generation employees the right help at the right moment — without complexity or stigma.

Here are four ways HR teams can reshape support for this growing workforce group.

1. Start with insight: understand the caring realities behind the pressure

For many sandwich-generation employees, caring isn’t an occasional disruption — it’s an ongoing, emotionally demanding part of daily life. HR teams often see signals long before employees feel comfortable sharing what’s happening at home.

Common patterns include:

• Last-minute changes to working hours or unexpected absences
• Balancing children's routines with medical or social-care appointments for parents
• Managing complex admin such as finances, medication or home-care arrangements
• Increased fatigue, presenteeism or disengagement
• Reduced capacity for progression or personal wellbeing

How HR can gather meaningful insight:

• Use short, anonymous FlexGenius surveys to understand who is caring and what support they’re missing
• Review usage patterns across benefits to spot stress points — such as spikes in EAP activity
• Encourage employees to self-identify as carers through stigma-free digital pathways
• Capture anonymised insights from managers and wellbeing champions

FlexGenius perspective:
Understanding employee needs shouldn’t rely on guesswork. Built-in analytics and survey tools help HR leaders identify caring responsibilities early and respond proactively.

Best practice tip:
Small signals often reveal big pressures. Use light-touch digital surveys or platform insights to spot caring patterns early — without forcing employees to disclose personal details before they’re ready.

2. Make flexibility a lived experience, not just a policy

Caring for two generations requires practical flexibility — not only in contractual terms, but in day-to-day lived experience. Eldercare in particular is unpredictable, often reactive, and can escalate quickly.

Ways to bring flexibility to life:

• Offer micro-flexibility options for unexpected care emergencies
• Provide clear guidance on carer’s leave, flexible working rights and parental leave all in one place
• Ensure quick access to virtual GP consultations and out-of-hours health support through eligible health plan partners
• Equip managers with simple, fair frameworks for supporting flexible arrangements

FlexGenius enables:
Employees can instantly see what flexibility they’re entitled to, request support and access relevant benefits through a single platform — reducing stress at the moments they most need clarity.

Key takeaway:
Flexibility should remove guilt, not create it. When support is easy to find and easy to use, employees feel trusted and empowered.

3. Extend wellbeing support to include the whole household

Caring responsibilities are strongly linked to declining mental and physical wellbeing — yet carers often put themselves last. Traditional, employee-only wellbeing support misses the reality of multi-generational households.

A family-inclusive wellbeing approach could include:

• Extending EAP access to partners, children and older dependants
• Family-cover PMI or digital healthcare options via partners like Paycare
• Eldercare navigation services to help employees understand and coordinate care for ageing loved ones
• On-demand mental health and resilience tools for overwhelmed carers
• Specialist support for stress, fatigue and emotional load

FlexGenius supports this by:
Highlighting the right wellbeing tools at the right moments, using personalised recommendations and signposting. Whether it’s mental health support, virtual GP access or eldercare guidance, employees can reach what they need in seconds.

Best practice tip:
Time-poor carers need support that is frictionless and available outside standard hours. Digital wellbeing tools bridge the gaps.

4. Strengthen financial wellbeing to reduce long-term strain

Caring across two generations creates overlapping financial pressures — from school costs to eldercare fees, legal responsibilities and reduced working hours.

HR teams have a powerful role in reducing financial anxiety by offering tools that support both immediate demands and long-term planning.

Ways employers can help:

• Financial coaching tailored to complex, multi-generational needs
• Tools for budgeting, savings and managing competing commitments
• Support with will-writing, power of attorney and future-planning
• Pension guidance for those reducing hours due to caring
• Salary-deducted savings or responsible lending options to avoid high-cost credit

FlexGenius perspective:
Financial wellbeing works best when it’s personalised. Our platform helps employees access coaching, legal support, budgeting tools and savings options in one place — without overwhelming them.

Key takeaway:
Financial wellbeing isn’t just crisis support — it’s about giving carers clear, simple tools to stay in control of competing commitments at every life stage.

Caring is becoming the norm — and benefits need to evolve with it

The sandwich generation is growing, and its challenges are not temporary. By listening closely, embedding day-to-day flexibility, widening wellbeing access and strengthening financial resilience, organisations can transform the working experience for employees who are quietly supporting two generations at once.

With benefits technology like FlexGenius, HR teams can move from good intentions to meaningful action — ensuring carers feel seen, supported and able to thrive.

Ready to better support your sandwich-generation workforce?

Discover how FlexGenius helps organisations design flexible, inclusive, family-friendly benefits that actually meet employees’ needs.
Book a demo or contact our team