Combining work and informal care: the importance of caring organisations

Abstract

Population ageing and rising costs of long-term care mean that organisations will be confronted in the future with a growing number of employees who combine paid work with providing informal care to a relative or non-kin. Combining work and informal care successfully partly depends on job and care-related features, but more information is needed on the importance of organisational aspects in this regard. The impact of organisational support on work outcomes (work–care balance and perceived need for job adaptations) was studied among 1,991 employed informal caregivers in 50 different organisations. Multilevel logistic regression analyses revealed that a heavy care burden decreased the odds of combining work and care successfully. Caregivers who felt supported by colleagues and supervisors, and who worked in supportive organisations had higher odds of good work outcomes. The findings imply that organisations should be explicit about their concern for informal caregivers and be particularly aware of colleagues with heavy care responsibilities.