Frameworks for Balancing Work and Long-Term Care Duties, and Support Needed from Enterprises  

Oleh:

Yajima, Yoko

Jenis: Article from Journal - ilmiah internasional
Dalam koleksi: Japan Labor Review vol. 14 no. 1 (2017), page 68-91.

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Perpustakaan Pusat (Semanggi) Nomor Panggil: JJ134 Non-tandon: 1 (dapat dipinjam: 0) Tandon: tidak ada

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This paper carries out a quantitative analysis based on the hypothesis that in terms of balancing work and long-term care duties, the quality of this balance (subjective sense that balance is achieved, and preservation of a feeling that work is rewarding) differs depending on the frameworks and circumstances surrounding the balance of work and care. These “frameworks and circum- stances” are examined herein from five perspectives: (i) Attributes of the care- giver, (ii) Attributes of the care recipient, (iii) The relationship between these two persons and the role the caregiver plays, (iv) The long-term care frame- work in place (including cooperation from other family members and service providers), and (v) The caregiver’s work style or format (flexible work sched- ules and utilization of leave, etc.)” In the quantitative analysis, the objective variable is “quality of balance,” the control variables are (i) through (iii) above, which are given conditions for the caregiver and the enterprise employing him or her, and are not easily changed, and the explanatory variables are (iv) and (v), for which there is room for adjustment by both caregiver and enterprise for the purpose of achieving balance. The analysis results showed that while care of an elderly family member appears on the surface to place caregivers in more complex and diverse circumstances than childcare, when we control for factors such as the attributes of the care recipient, the relationship between caregiver and recipient, and the long-term care framework (cooperation from family members and service providers, etc.), it is evident that the support em- ployees need from enterprises, with regard to their work styles and formats, involves “curtailing excessively long working hours,” “creating an environ- ment in which leave can be taken flexibly and support programs can be uti- lized,” and “supervisors’ consideration for employees’ circumstances,” and there is hardly any difference between this and the type of work environment required for employees engaged in childcare to achieve work-life balance. However, if the above-described “framework” for balancing work and long-term care duties is not in place, support from enterprises will not function effectively, and thus it is important for enterprises not simply to offer support in terms of work styles and formats, but also to encourage caregivers, who of- ten try to handle too many duties directly by themselves, to avail themselves of long-term care service providers and divide duties among family members, i.e. to focus on “management of care services and division of duties.”

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