When a valued employee leaves to care for a loved one, it’s more than just a resignation. It’s a wake-up call.
For many of your clients, these moments serve as a stark reminder of the challenges their workforce faces as caregiving needs grow. When employees struggle to balance work and personal responsibilities, businesses lose talent, teams are stretched thin, and leadership faces difficult staffing decisions.
As a benefits broker, you may wonder how to approach these moments with care. After all, discussing benefits in the wake of a hardship can feel delicate. But these situations aren’t about selling—they’re an opportunity to reinforce your role as a trusted partner, helping clients see how existing benefits can support employees before they reach a breaking point.
Turning a Difficult Situation Into Meaningful Support
Imagine a client loses a key employee because they need to care for a family member with dementia. The team feels the absence, and leadership is left navigating how to fill the gap. It’s a clear sign that caregiving isn’t just a personal challenge—it’s a workforce issue.
In moments like these, you don’t need a perfect answer. What matters is how you show up. Instead of focusing on solutions right away, start with empathy, listen, and offer to help when they’re ready.
Leading with Empathy: How to Navigate These Conversations
Supporting your clients through workforce challenges isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about creating space for honest, meaningful discussions. Here’s how you can approach these moments with sensitivity and purpose:
1. Hold Space for the Experience
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is simply listen. Acknowledge the impact of losing an employee and let your client know you’re there for them.
- Instead of jumping to solutions, say:
“I know this must be difficult for you and your team. If you need to talk or think through any next steps, I’m here.”
This reassures them that your role goes beyond selling benefits—you genuinely care about their team’s well-being.
2. Discuss Existing Benefits with Subtlety
Rather than immediately suggesting new solutions, help clients recognize how their current benefits could have provided support. This keeps the focus on them, rather than pushing an agenda.
- A simple check-in could be:
“Would it be helpful to take a look at the benefits you already have to see if they can better support your team in situations like this?”
This approach keeps the conversation supportive and consultative, rather than sales-driven.
3. Ask Thoughtful, Open-Ended Questions
A well-placed question can invite clients to reflect on their workforce needs—without feeling pressured.
- Try asking:
“Have you noticed more employees juggling caregiving responsibilities?”
“What’s been most challenging for your team since this employee left?”
“Would it be helpful if we explored ways to prevent this from happening again?”
These questions help clients see the real impact of caregiving on their workforce—and open the door to solutions when they’re ready.
4. Guide Toward Subtle, High-Impact Solutions
When the time is right, introduce practical, low-cost adjustments that align with your client’s existing values and priorities:
- Flexible work policies that give employees room to balance caregiving.
- Access to counseling and mental health support through EAPs.
- Caregiver-specific benefits that offer financial and logistical assistance.
The key? Frame solutions as support, not sales. Instead of pushing products, highlight how small changes can prevent future workforce disruptions and improve retention.
5. Position Yourself as a Long-Term Partner
These moments are an opportunity to reinforce your role as a strategic advisor—someone your clients turn to when they need guidance, not just when it’s time to renew a contract.
- Say:
“If you ever want to explore ways to support employees facing similar challenges, I’d love to help. No pressure—just when the time feels right.”
This builds long-term trust, proving that you’re invested in their business and their people—not just their benefits package.
Why These Conversations Matter
Caregiving challenges aren’t going away. With one in five employees acting as unpaid caregivers, businesses are feeling the impact in real dollars—through absenteeism, lost productivity, and turnover.
Yet, many employers don’t know where to start when it comes to supporting caregiving employees. That’s where you come in.
By guiding your clients with empathy and practical solutions, you help them:
- Retain valuable employees who might otherwise feel forced to leave.
- Reduce absenteeism and burnout by giving employees the support they need.
- Strengthen workforce stability by proactively addressing caregiving challenges.
Empathy as Your Competitive Advantage
In a marketplace where benefits are increasingly commoditized, brokers who lead with empathy stand out. Your ability to show up in moments that matter—without hard-selling—sets you apart from larger firms that focus only on transactions.
By building relationships based on trust, understanding, and a true commitment to employee well-being, you become indispensable to your clients.
Let’s Build Workplaces That Support Every Stage of Life
If you’re ready to help clients navigate caregiving challenges through Benefits Mapping and proactive workforce planning, let’s connect.
Together, we can ensure your clients see you not just as a broker, but as the partner they trust to guide them through their most pressing workforce challenges.
