Strategies for a successful retirement

As companies broaden employee benefits to address diverse caregiving responsibilities — from children and aging parents to family pets — backup pet care is emerging as a practical perk. This trend not only helps workers stay productive amid return-to-office mandates but also carries important implications for retirement planning.

Pets Join the Caregiving Conversation in a Back-to-Office World

Backup care provides short-term, often subsidized help when regular arrangements break down. Demand is rising as more employers require full-time office presence. A recent AARP Public Policy Institute report notes that about 59 million Americans delivered family, neighbor, or friend caregiving in 2024 — totaling 49.5 billion hours and roughly $1 trillion in unpaid labor value.

At the same time, data shows pet care disruptions affect the workplace significantly. According to Wagmo’s survey of over 1,000 pet-owning employees, absences due to pet emergencies or routine needs are common.

Wellthy, which supports millions of employees and works with clients such as Best Buy, Merck, and Harvard University, added pets to its offerings in 2024. CEO and co-founder Lindsay Jurist-Rosner told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin:

Jurist-Rosner, named to the 2026 CNBC Changemakers List, noted that backup care is one of the fastest-growing parts of the business.

Wellthy’s newer “Pet Care Concierge” helps with pet insurance navigation, therapy animal sourcing, emergency boarding, and locating veterinarians. Bright Horizons partners with services like Rover and Wag! for dog walking, sitting, and boarding. Some employers using Wagmo reimburse routine pet expenses such as vaccines, grooming, and exams.

With the end of widespread remote work flexibility — which coincided with a surge in pet adoptions — employees now face greater needs for daily and travel-related pet support.

Jurist-Rosner explained that forward-thinking companies are pairing return-to-office policies with practical help for employees’ personal logistics, including pet care.

Connecting Today’s Benefits to Tomorrow’s Retirement

Pet care fits into a larger national caregiving challenge. While it may not be the most pressing issue compared to special-needs children or aging parents with complex health conditions, it still creates real financial and emotional strain.

Jurist-Rosner founded Wellthy after years of caring for her mother, who had multiple sclerosis. She described the role as both rewarding and overwhelmingly difficult, noting that many families face similar pressures: “People don’t want to quit their families so they quit their jobs.”

Child care and senior care shortages persist, with child care often costing more than rent in many U.S. markets. When employees must take time off or reduce hours for caregiving — whether for people or pets — it can slow career progress, limit retirement contributions (such as 401(k) matches), and reduce overall savings.

Pet ownership adds another layer for retirement planning. Annual pet care costs have been rising, often totaling thousands of dollars per year, with lifetime expenses for a dog or cat reaching tens of thousands. In retirement, on a fixed income, these costs can become harder to manage — especially as pets age and require more veterinary care, medications, or specialized diets.

However, pets can also bring benefits in retirement, including companionship, routine, physical activity through walks, and mental health support that may help reduce stress or loneliness. Planning ahead for pet expenses (through dedicated savings, pet insurance, or benefits awareness while still working) helps protect retirement nest eggs from unexpected drains.

By offering backup pet care today, employers help employees maintain productivity, advance in their careers, and build stronger financial foundations — including consistent retirement savings. This reduces the risk of leaving the workforce prematurely due to caregiving burdens.

Jurist-Rosner emphasized the value for employers: better retention, higher productivity, and fewer unplanned leaves. She described caregiving support as “the under-discussed workforce equity, workforce productivity, and frankly, labor participation issue of our time.”

For individuals, recognizing pet care as part of the broader caregiving picture encourages proactive steps:

In short, today’s expanding pet care benefits aren’t just convenient perks — they’re a smart investment in workforce stability that can pay dividends for a more secure and enjoyable retirement.

Listen to the full conversation with Lindsay Jurist-Rosner on the “CNBC Changemakers and Power Players” podcast, available on Apple and Spotify.

This rewrite keeps the core facts and quotes while shifting the focus toward forward-looking retirement implications without altering the original reporting.

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