Perceptions and experiences of caregiver-employees, employers, and healthcare professionals with caregiver-friendly workplace policy in Hong Kong: a thematic analysis.
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background:
Caregiver-employees (CEs) for older adults experience a high burden to fulfill their dual roles. Caregiver-friendly workplace policy (CFWP) has been used in many countries to balance employment and caregiving duties, but it is a relatively new concept in Hong Kong.
Objective:
This study explored the views and experiences of CEs, employers, and healthcare professionals regarding CFWP (specifically for older adult caregivers) in Hong Kong.
Methods:
Therefore, this study explored the CFWP-related views and experiences in Hong Kong using 15 in-depth interviews with purposively sampled CEs for older adults, employers, and healthcare professionals.
Results:
Two context-related themes ('lacking leadership' and 'unfavorable culture') were identified with thematic analysis that explain the absence of CFWP in Hong Kong due to the lack of governmental and organizational leadership and the additional burden experienced by CEs because of the working culture that underpins work-life separation, overprizing business interest, and unsympathetic corporate attitude. Implicit voice theory was applicable in explaining CEs' non-disclosure about their status at work due to potential risks. In addition, the two facilitation-related themes ('role struggle' and 'inadequate support') identified in this study exhibit how the dual role had positive and negative spillover effects on each other and the inadequacy of social welfare and healthcare support systems.
Conclusions:
Therefore, we strongly recommend exploring and adopting potential CFWP in Hong Kong, considering the complexity of factors identified in this study.
Caregiver-employees (CEs) for older adults experience a high burden to fulfill their dual roles. Caregiver-friendly workplace policy (CFWP) has been used in many countries to balance employment and caregiving duties, but it is a relatively new concept in Hong Kong.
Objective:
This study explored the views and experiences of CEs, employers, and healthcare professionals regarding CFWP (specifically for older adult caregivers) in Hong Kong.
Methods:
Therefore, this study explored the CFWP-related views and experiences in Hong Kong using 15 in-depth interviews with purposively sampled CEs for older adults, employers, and healthcare professionals.
Results:
Two context-related themes ('lacking leadership' and 'unfavorable culture') were identified with thematic analysis that explain the absence of CFWP in Hong Kong due to the lack of governmental and organizational leadership and the additional burden experienced by CEs because of the working culture that underpins work-life separation, overprizing business interest, and unsympathetic corporate attitude. Implicit voice theory was applicable in explaining CEs' non-disclosure about their status at work due to potential risks. In addition, the two facilitation-related themes ('role struggle' and 'inadequate support') identified in this study exhibit how the dual role had positive and negative spillover effects on each other and the inadequacy of social welfare and healthcare support systems.
Conclusions:
Therefore, we strongly recommend exploring and adopting potential CFWP in Hong Kong, considering the complexity of factors identified in this study.
Date Issued
2025-02-02
Date Acceptance
2024-12-19
Citation
Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 2025, 14
ISSN
1929-073X
Publisher
JMIR Publications
Journal / Book Title
Interactive Journal of Medical Research
Volume
14
Copyright Statement
©Maggie Man-Sin Lee, Eng-kiong Yeoh, Eliza Lai-Yi Wong, Xue Bai, Nelson Chun-Yiu Yeung, Catherine French, Henock Taddese. Originally published in the Interactive Journal of Medical Research (https://www.i-jmr.org/), 10.02.2025. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Interactive Journal of Medical Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.i-jmr.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.
License URL
Identifier
https://doi.org/10.2196/58528
Subjects
caregiver employees
workplace
discrimination
dual roles
caregiver burden
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
58528
Date Publish Online
2024-03-18