Employees' satisfaction with employer-sponsored elder-care programs

Allard E. Dembe; Jamie S. Partridge; Elizabeth Dugan; Diane S. Piktialis

doi:10.1108/17538351111172581

Login

Welcome:
Guest

Search for:

Browse:

Product Information:

Resources:

International Journal of Workplace Health Management

ISSN: 1753-8351

Online from: 2008

Subject Area: Health Care Management/Healthcare

Content: Latest Issue | Latest Issue RSS | Previous Issues

Options: To add Favourites and Table of Contents Alerts please take a Emerald profile

Employees' satisfaction with employer-sponsored elder-care programs

Document Information:
Title:	Employees' satisfaction with employer-sponsored elder-care programs
Author(s):	Allard E. Dembe, (Division of Health Services Management & Policy, and Center for HOPES, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, Ohio, USA), Jamie S. Partridge, (The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, Ohio, USA), Elizabeth Dugan, (University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA), Diane S. Piktialis, (The Conference Board Inc., New York, New York, USA)
Citation:	Allard E. Dembe, Jamie S. Partridge, Elizabeth Dugan, Diane S. Piktialis, (2011) "Employees' satisfaction with employer-sponsored elder-care programs", International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 4 Iss: 3, pp.216 - 227
Keywords:	Caregiving, EAP, Elder care, Employment, Flexible scheduling, Work life
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/17538351111172581 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Acknowledgements:	This work was supported by The Retirement Research Foundation (Grant #2006-062).The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of D. Phyllis Mutschler, who provided input on the initial development of the research plan and questionnaire. Carol Smathers assisted in development of the web-based survey questionnaire and provided other logistical support to the project. Cynthia Sieck, PhD, provided technical assistance and comments. The authors would also like to thank Dr Julie Kaufman, of the Retirement Research Foundation, for her insights and advice on the study.
Abstract:	Purpose – This study aims to evaluate whether employees consider employer-sponsored elder-care programs to benefit aging family members and whether those programs help employees with caregiving needs, stay productively employed. Design/methodology/approach – A nationwide internet-based survey was conducted between December 2008 and May 2009, eliciting information from 447 users of employer-sponsored elder-care services. Survey participants were employed individuals who had requested assistance from one of five national elder-care service provider organizations (SPOs) during the preceding two years. Findings – A majority of respondents reported that the services helped them to keep working productively (74.0 percent), avoid job absences (65.5 percent), stay employed (58.0 percent), and maintain a good family life at home (72.1 percent). Respondents were generally satisfied with the services provided by SPOs. However, most respondents did not feel that the services help minimize caregiving expenses. Originality/value – To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first US study evaluating the usefulness of employer elder-care programs, based on the perspectives of employees who have used the programs.