When caregivers leave, it hits staffing, morale, costs, and ultimately the quality of care you provide.

But, what if you could spot the signs that someone is struggling financially—and feeling it at work—before they hand in their notice?

In this article, we’ll walk through real patterns and observable signals that often show up before a resignation. You’ll also see where these trends show up in national research and what operators like you can do right away.

Why Pay-Related Stress Matters, Especially Now

Workforce instability isn’t just about wages being low; it’s about wages not lining up with life.

A recent report from the Federal Reserve shows that a significant share of U.S. adults would struggle to cover a $400 emergency expense without borrowing or selling something. 

In healthcare, where many workers are hourly and shift-based, that reality collides with bi-weekly pay cycles that don’t match the timing of bills or rent. This can also result in caregivers working with multiple agencies (with the same or alternating pay periods).

Caregivers don’t quit jobs on a Monday morning because they don’t love what they do. They quit because something in their everyday life became impossible to manage. Pay timing and stress show up in operations long before turnover hits.

1.) Attendance Shifts: The First Signal

For most frontline supervisors, the first sign that something’s off is usually shifts and changes in their attendance. The key here is uncharacteristic and unusual behavior. 

What Operators Are Seeing

• A team member who was once punctual becomes late more often.
• People call in sick on short notice.
• No-call/no-show events happen without explanation.

A 2024 study in Health Affairs found that employee performance issues—including inconsistent attendance—are often early indicators of deeper stress, long before turnover is recorded.

What It Means

Financial stress can disrupt sleep, childcare arrangements, transportation, and energy levels. 

When a caregiver is juggling bills that don’t align with pay dates, every shift becomes a calculus: “Can I afford to work this one this week?”

We’ve seen these patterns internally when talking to companies that use Keeper. A caregiver would ask if the community can compensate for daycare in order for them to complete the shift. 

At first glance, you might raise an eyebrow or two. But if you think about it, this speaks to the realities that caregivers live with. They might not have access to a village or family who can help with childcare tasks and have to rely on paid resources in order to work. 

These patterns are not discipline issues—they are operational stress signals.

2.) Last-Minute Schedule Changes Tell a Story

Every operator knows that occasional shift changes happen. But when schedule volatility becomes normal, it’s worth paying attention.

What Operators Are Seeing

• Sudden swap requests without clear reasons
• Caregivers canceling later in the day
• Managers repeatedly fill shifts at the last minute

Why This Matters

Shift patterns reflect real life. When life is under financial stress, people make trade-offs. A caregiver might choose another job that:

• Pays more frequently
• Offers more predictable hours

It’s not just about wages on paper. It’s about when money is available to them.

Activated Insights found that unpredictable schedules correlate with higher turnover. When the schedule feels unstable, caregivers feel unstable. Both are linked together.

3.) Overtime Isn’t Just Extra Hours. It Can Be a Stress Marker

We often think of overtime as a sign we need more staff. But there’s another dynamic in play.

What Operators Are Seeing

• Overtime climbing at the end of a pay period
• Last-minute coverage driving up hours
• Overworked staff rotating through extra shifts voluntarily

The Hidden Pattern

This usually happens because caregivers are trying to bridge financial gaps, like covering bills, unexpected expenses, or timing mismatches with their regular pay.

Operators that consistently rely on overtime are showing a pattern that isn’t just about staffing shortfalls. It also reflects workers stretching to make ends meet: a stress signal operators should watch.

This isn’t anecdote; it’s a trend seen in workforce data seen and felt by operators nationwide.

4.) Payroll Questions & Complaints Are More Than Logistics

When someone has a question about a paycheck, it often matters more than the question itself.

What Operators Are Seeing

• Increases in calls about pay timing
• Requests to explain deductions
• Frequent reprints of pay stubs
• Emails about “when” rather than “how much”

Why This Matters

Payroll inquiries often spike not because systems are broken, but because workers are trying to manage tight cash flow.

Instead of brushing these off as routine tasks for HR or payroll, you can treat patterns in inquiries as soft signals of strain.

And today, payroll vendors are noticing this trend industry-wide. More questions = more financial unease.

5.) Engagement Drops—Even If Performance Looks OK

You can’t put a number on “caregiver morale,” but you can see it in patterns.

What Operators Are Seeing

• Fewer people signing up for optional training
• Less clock in or clock outs
• Slower responses to messages
• Lower quality charting or task documentation

What Research Says

Studies in workforce behavior show that financial stress affects cognitive bandwidth: the mental energy needed to plan, connect, and stay engaged. People under stress don’t “switch off” suddenly. They slowly withdraw.

This often happens long before someone submits a resignation.

6.) Patterns Around Pay Periods Are Predictive

One of the most telling insights operators can use is timing.

Instead of looking at attendance or performance in isolation, watch how those behaviors move around pay cycles.

What Operators Are Seeing

• Spikes in absenteeism in the days before payday
• Increase in last-minute schedule requests right after a pay cycle
• Payroll inquiries peaking near rent deadlines

Why It Matters

These patterns turn caregiving data into a predictive tool. Once you connect the dots between behavior and timing, you are no longer reacting to turnover — you’re anticipating it.

What You Can Do Right Now (No Budget Required)

The good news: you don’t need new software or millions of dollars to start spotting these signals.

Cross-Check Attendance With Pay Timing

Look at your bad-attendance days. Do they cluster near pay weeks? Are the same people showing up late before paydays?

Track Last-Minute Swap Frequencies

Make a simple weekly log:

• How many last-minute changes?
• Who is requesting them?
• When do they happen?

You’re looking for patterns. Not judgment.

Review Payroll Questions Thematically

If you don’t already categorize payroll inquiries, start today. Are they questions about:

• Timing?
• Deductions?
• Frequency?

These themes tell a story.

Financial stress doesn’t wait for a no show.

It shows up in:

• attendance patterns
• schedule volatility
• overtime behavior
• payroll questions
• engagement declines

If your company is tracking these patterns intentionally, you’re not just reacting. Instead, you’re predicting and preventing turnover before it happens.

Healthcare work is human work. When these systems align with real life, people thrive. When they don’t, stress shows up first. And turnover follows.

If you’re ready to proactively address these signals, book a demo of Keeper today.