THE IMPACT OF CAREGIVING ON EMPLOYMENT - A MEDIATIONAL MODEL OF WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT

This research evaluates a mediational model of work-family conflict am ong employees with caregiving responsibilities for older relatives. In a survey of employees from eight organizations, 396 women and 316 men completed measures assessing their eldercare involvement, the extent to which their family responsibilities interfered with work (FIW), the extent to which their work interfered with family (WIF), job satisfac tion, job costs (e.g., missed meetings), and absenteeism. Eldercare in volvement was significantly associated with FIW for women but not for men. Among women, FIW was related to job dissatisfaction and absenteei sm; among men, it was related to job costs and absenteeism. WIF was un related to eldercare, but was associated with FIW and job costs for bo th women and men. It also was associated with job satisfaction for men . The findings of the current study suggest that eldercare responsibil ities impact on the workplace indirectly by arousing conflict between family and work.