Having a full-time job is challenging enough for most people — but add in a friend or relative who depends on you for their care, and the workload becomes much heavier and more complex.

That’s the daily reality for 5.2 million Canadians who find themselves juggling paid employment while helping loved ones who, for various health reasons, need extra help in their daily lives. Yet the plight of unpaid carers is often invisible to employers, policy makers and the public, and that’s a concern, says University of Alberta researcher Janet Fast.

Read more from the University of Alberta.