Americans serve as caregivers, and roughly 70% of them are also in the workforce<\/strong> (Employee Benefit News, 2026).<\/p>\n

From a psychological perspective, hiding caregiving stress and responsibilities can create significant emotional strain<\/em>. When people feel they must separate their professional identity from a major part of their personal life, it can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation.<\/p>\n

As Hitchcock explains from her counseling training, \u201cWhen someone feels they have to manage two demanding roles but can\u2019t acknowledge one of them openly, the emotional load becomes much heavier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironically, Hitchcock eventually discovered that openness could sometimes strengthen workplace relationships. When she began sharing more about her circumstances, other employees revealed they were navigating similar challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople in the same situation started coming out of the woodwork,\u201d she says. \u201cMany of them actually wanted to work on my team because they knew I understood what they were juggling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over time, her group became a team largely composed of working mothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ended up with some of our best employees,\u201d Hitchcock recalls. \u201cWe worked incredibly hard because we were a team of working parents who had a point to prove\u2014and a paycheck to bring home.\u201d<\/p>\n

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