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Two-thirds (64 per cent) of global employees in the ‘sandwich generation’— defined as those who are caring for young children and ageing parents — say they’ve experienced depression and anxiety, according to a new report by wellness platform Cleo.

The report, based on more than 12,000 user assessments, found among the sandwich generation, half (51 per cent) identified as higher risk for burnout, with a similar percentage reported among employees caring for adult relatives (53 per cent).

Read: How employers can support sandwich generation caregivers

Parents of neurodivergent children (65 per cent) were the highest-risk group for mental-health issues, followed by family caregivers of someone with a chronic condition (61 per cent), cancer (55 per cent) or navigating an end-of-life journey (57 per cent).

Across global regions, employees in Asia-Pacific (39 per cent) were most likely to be at risk of caregiving burnout, followed by Latin America (36 per cent), Europe, the Middle East and Africa (35 per cent), Canada (29 per cent) and the U.S. (28 per cent).

Employees identified at higher risk for burnout report an average of 454 hours (11.4 weeks) of lost work productivity annually per caregiver due to their parenting and caregiving responsibilities. For an employee earning US$90,000 annually, this translates to $27,240 in an annual hidden cost of lost productivity at work. For every 1,000 employees, this amounts to an estimated projected hidden annual cost of $3.8 million in lost productivity.

The report noted presenteeism accounts for 67 per cent of this lost productivity, as caregivers struggle to concentrate and perform effectively while at work, while absenteeism accounts for the remaining 33 per cent, with caregivers missing part or full workdays due to their caregiving responsibilities.

Read: 24% of U.S. employees caring for child, adult dependants more likely to leave job: survey