Aging Workforce and the Increasing Need for Eldercare Assistance

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WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION, REDUCING WORK STRESS SOME
STRATEGIES THAT WORK
Donna S. Lero Centre for Families, Work, and
Well-Being University of Guelph, Ontario
OLA SuperConference, Feb 3, 2006
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Overview

• Key Influences Affecting Work-Life
  Integration, Role Overload, Employee
  Satisfaction and Performance
• Consequences of Work-Life Imbalance
• Personal and Organizational Strategies
• Policy Options

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Current Influences

• Changing Demographics
• Changing labour market trends and employment
  relationships
• New technologies
• The need for change on multiple levels
• A global concern

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Demographic Trends 1

• Women and Work
• 46 of the employed labour force
• 75 of women 25-54 years
• 62 of mothers of children lt 3yrs
• 72 of women work full time
• Womens earnings are essential to families,
  the economy

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Demographic Trends 2

• Families and work
• 73 of 2-parent families are dual earners most
  often both work full time
• 18 single parent families
• 74 of single mothers with school-age
  children employed
• Changing Work Patterns and Work Hours Affect
  Employees and Family Life

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Demographic Trends 3

• Population Aging
• In 2000, 12 of pop 65 by 2026 more than
  20
• Increased longevity
• Continuing low fertility rates
• Ratio of potential support
• Reliance on fewer workers for contributions
  to pensions, social programs (workers/ seniors gt
  65)
• 51 in 2000 31 in 2026
• The Caregiving Crunch

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Labour Market Trends 1

• 1990s a difficult decade 1998 gt recovery
• Widespread downsizing
• Increase in precarious employment
  Self-employment- own account Contract/temporary
  work Part-time employment

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Labour Market Trends 2

• Current period Strong economy with
• Some labour and skill shortages emerging
• Jobs requiring more education, skills
  but There are also many low-wage jobs
• Recent losses in manufacturing sector of
  good jobs
• Continuing concerns about mergers,
  outsourcing
• Work intensification Workload issues
• Quality of Work a critical issue
• Employees (all ages, both men and women) desiring
  more work-life balance

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Labour Market Trends 3

• Baby boomers approaching retirement
• Increasing proportion of older workers
• More employees with an aging parent 15 in
  sandwich generation
• Competitive recruitment in health, government,
  construction, senior management

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Changing Libraries

• From refuge to hub of activity
• An electronic environment
• Serving more people, more diverse populations
• Increased expectations for service
• Changing amount and pace of work

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Evidence of Increased Work Stress and Work-Life
Conflict

• Major studies are consistent
• Work-life conflict has increased over the decade
• Employees' mental health has declined
• Employees attitudes to work are deteriorating
• More job stress
• Less job satisfaction and commitment
• Concerns on many levels

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Role Overload and Conflict Between Work and
Family 1991, 2001

• 1991
• 2001

Source Duxbury Higgins, 2001
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Change in Key Mental Health Outcomes Over Time

• 1991
• 2001

Source Duxbury Higgins, 2001
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Employee Attitudes and Outcomes 1991 vs. 2001

• 1991
• 2001

Source Duxbury Higgins, 2001
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Evidence of the Costs of Work-Life Imbalance

• Costs to employees
• Individually and as family members
• Costs to employers
• Conflicts between home and work costs approx.
  16 billion/year due to absenteeism and
  disability costs, turnover, Recruitment and
  replacement, lost productivity
• Costs in quality of care provided
• Less time in volunteering, social
  relationships

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Causes of Role Overload and Work-Family Conflict

• Organizational Culture
• A culture that supports balance and values
  employees who are treated with fairness and
  respect A Healthy Workplace vs.
• A culture of hours (long hours, face time a
  priority)
• A culture of work OR family (work comes first)
• Work Demands and Workload
• Work hours, amount of unpaid overtime,
• Total hours associated with work, commuting time
• Lack of Community-Based Resources to Support
  Caregiving
• Missing or Inadequate Public Policies

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Personal Strategies for Work-Life Integration

• Redefine role structure, role demands
• Redefine role expectations, priorities
• Renegotiate, share roles with others
• Attend to multiple role demands consciously
• Splitting / separating / compartmentalizing
• Integrate
• Recognize your limits and limit personal costs
  (sleep, exercise, having a life)

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Promote and Participate in Organizational Change

• Senior leadership is key
• Employee participation is essential
• Workplace size is important
• Set goals, monitor and measure along the way
• Celebrate successes
• Share and learn

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Work-Life Integration in the Early 21st Century

• SUMMARY
• Recognition of aligning work-family integration
  with core business goals -- Human Capital Focus
• Not just a personal concern
• A Business AND a Social Policy Issue
• A Gender Equity Concern
• An International Concern

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References and Resources

• Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being,
  University of Guelph.
• www.worklifecanada.ca
• Duxbury, L. Higgins, C. (2001). Work-life
  balance in the new millennium A status report.
  www.cprn.ca/7314_en.pdf
• Duxbury, L. Higgins, C. (2005) Report 4 Who is
  at risk? Predictors of work-life conflict.
  Work-travail-rpt4_e.pdf
• Hollingworth, M. (2005) Resolving the dilemma of
  work-life balance Developing work-life maps.
  Ivey Business Journal, University of Western
  Ontario
• Kelloway, E.K Day, A. (2005). Building healthy
  workplaces What we know so far. Canadian Journal
  of Behavioural Science (special issue). 37 (4)
• Lee, M.D Kossek, E. (2005). Crafting lives that
  work A six-year retrospective on reduced load
  work in the careers and lives of professionals
  and managers. http//flex-work.lir.msu.edu/
• Work-Life Balance in Canadian Workplaceshttp//la
  bour-travail.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/worklife/

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• Thank you for your attention.
• Comments, questions
• dlero_at_uoguelph.ca
• www.worklifecanada.ca