How enhanced caregiver benefits helped Kristy remain “the rock” of her family

At Johnson & Johnson, we’re here for you. The whole you. The physical, mental, emotional, and financial you—not just the skilled professional who’s helping us transform the future of health for good. That’s why we’re empowering our 130,000-plus employees around the world with best-in-class benefits to support life both in and out of the office.

Kristy’s surprise caregiver journey

We all have moments when we need to step away from work. For Kristy Watkins, that moment came in 2021.

“It started when my husband, Chad, was diagnosed with pancreatitis,” she says. The disease, which is characterized by inflammation of the pancreas, may also cause more serious health complications, and can even be life-threatening in severe cases, as it was with Chad.

After being admitted to the hospital, things went from bad to worse—fast.

“He came very, very close to passing away,” Kristy says. “He developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), which resulted in him needing dialysis because multiorgan failure had occurred—and ultimately, he would need a kidney transplant.”

Meanwhile, Kristy found herself suddenly thrust into the role of full-time caregiver for her husband, on top of her responsibilities for their three young children.

“For a while there, it felt like a situation where it wasn’t possible to juggle all the different demands, expectations and responsibilities,” she recalls. “It felt like I was needed everywhere at once.”

What helped Kristy stay strong?

“I remain awed by how understanding and supportive my teammates at Johnson & Johnson were throughout the whole experience,” she says. “They were really there for me, they stepped up and it’s something I’ll never forget.”

Fortunately, things have dramatically improved for Kristy and her loved ones since then. After undergoing kidney-transplant surgery almost a year ago, Chad has made a near-total recovery, and Kristy thinks they all benefited from the additional family time as well.

Inside our latest global paid leave enhancements

Our latest Global Paid Leave enhancements were designed with stories like Kristy’s in mind. Here’s an overview of the enhancements to paid time off you can expect when you join our team:

• Caregivers: 10 business days of paid time off annually to care for an immediate family member with a critical illness or injury
• Bereavement: Up to 30 business days of paid time off annually following the death of an immediate family member
• Volunteer Work: Four business days per calendar year to give your time to a qualifying event or organization

It’s our hope that this additional time off to care for your loved ones, yourself, and the causes that are important to you will give you added peace of mind.