Sponsor
Portland State University. School of Urban Studies
First Advisor
Nancy J. Chapman
Term of Graduation
Spring 1989
Date of Publication
5-3-1989
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Urban Studies
Department
Urban Studies
Language
English
Subjects
Absenteeism (Labor), Aging parents -- Care -- Psychological aspects, Child care -- Psychological aspects, Job stress
DOI
10.15760/etd.3908
Physical Description
1 online resource (4, xiii, 241 pages)
Abstract
An important area of contemporary research is the impact of family responsibilities on the workplace. Historically, caregiving responsibilities have been predominantly for minor children. Increasingly, caregiving involves caring for parents or other elderly or disabled adults.
The study reported in this dissertation compares the effects of caregiving on job stress and absenteeism for two groups of employees, one caring for parents and the other caring for children. It utilizes data from the "Work and Elder Care Project" conducted by the Regional Research Institute for Human Services and the Institute on Aging at Portland State University. Of the 9,573 employees who responded to the "Work and Elder Care" survey, 1895 were included in this study as caregivers of children and 864 were included as caregivers of parents, step parents or parents in law.
Hierarchical regression analyses were used to analyze the effects of caregiving on job stress, four forms of absenteeism (missing days, being late to work, leaving work early, and work interruptions), and an index of overall absenteeism. Regressions were performed for the combined sample of caregivers, for caregivers of children and of parents separately, and for men and women in each caregiver group.
The findings indicate that caregivers for children experience higher absenteeism than caregivers for parents, especially in being late to work and leaving work early. This was true for both men and women, although women generally experienced higher absenteeism than men. The characteristics of the children and parents receiving care were found to affect absenteeism in more complex ways than prior research would suggest. For example, having younger children increased work interruptions but decreased the number of days missed for men, while for women, having younger children was associated with being late to work but having teenagers increased work interruptions. For the parentcare group, the level of the parent's impairment had less effect on absenteeism than expected. The findings related to job stress suggest that, contrary to the negative spillover hypothesis, job stress appears to be lower in situations of high caregiving need.
Resources were found to have significant effects on work outcomes, although not consistently in the direction hypothesized. Being single or having an employed spouse and concerns with care arrangements for the parent(s) or child(ren) were significant predictors of negative work outcomes for both groups as expected. However, higher household income and flexible work schedules were found to increase absenteeism.
Gender differences in the relationship between caregiving and work outcomes were also identified. Women reported higher absenteeism, higher caregiving stress, more concern about care arrangements, and a greater impact on absenteeism when caring for a parent or child with a high level of need. However, the findings indicate that men are involved in caregiving in significant ways and in particular situations. The characteristics of the child(ren) or parent(s) being cared for and the availability of resources affected men and women differently.
Rights
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Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43175
Recommended Citation
Boise, Linda, "Caregiving for Parents and Caregiving for Children: The Differential Effects on Job Stress and Absenteeism" (1989). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 6781.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.3908
Comments
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