The Caregiving Less Studied: Understanding the Work-Family Conflict of Employees with Eldercare Responsibilities
Abstract
Eldercare is on the rise in the US due to the aging baby boomer population, and
over half of unpaid caregivers in the US (25.3 million) are also employed. The work-family
literature has thoroughly investigated the effects of childcare responsibilities on
work-family conflict experienced by employees, but eldercare effects are less
understood. The structural, emotional, and relational differences between eldercare and
childcare and their effects on work-family conflict are examined using samples of
employed childcare, eldercare, and sandwiched caregivers. Two online surveys were
administered one month apart via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Results show that
caregiving experiences differ structurally and emotionally, and that the emotional
nuances of eldercare are related to work-family conflict. However, caregiving status
(i.e., childcare, eldercare, or both [sandwiched]) was not related to work-family conflict,
and the structural characteristics of eldercare being less predictable, understandable, and
controllable were not found to moderate this relationship. More detailed findings,
implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.
Citation
Gaskins, Vanessa Amber Jean (2018). The Caregiving Less Studied: Understanding the Work-Family Conflict of Employees with Eldercare Responsibilities. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A & M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /174523.