The Effects of Family-Friendly Workplace Environments on Work-Family Stress of Employed Parents

Abstract

This study utilized the spillover conceptual framework to examine the effects of structural (formal policies) and dynamic (informal supervisory support) aspects of the workplace on the financial stress, time-based problems, and role-strain of employed parents. Data was obtained by telephone interview from an availability sample of 374 employed parents in several different workplaces. Logistic regression analyses provided partial support for the hypotheses that each of four groups of different family-friendly policies would effect specific work-family outcomes. One structural component, leave time allowance policy, helped ease the time-based problems of employed parents. The other structural components such as child care assistance, alternative work arrangements or stress management programs did not effect the work-family stress variables. Several dynamic components of the work environment, particularly informal supervisory support, were associated with all three measures of work-family stress. This comprehensive model suggests that workplace support for working parents must extend beyond formal policies and practices to move workers and their families forward as the primary beneficiaries of family-friendly workplaces.     

An Analysis of Supervisor Support of Policies on Workplace Flexibility

ABSTRACT

Workplace flexibility policies provide workers with an opportunity to attain a healthy work–life balance. This study utilized a secondary data set of 658 supervisors from a study that was commissioned by the work–life office of a major university in the Southern United States to get a better understanding of the implementation of flexibility policies at this university. The purpose of examining this secondary data set was to determine whether supervisors who have caregiving responsibilities are more likely to be supportive of workplace flexibility policies than those with no caregiving responsibilities. The findings indicate that supervisors who have caregiving responsibilities are no more likely to be supportive of workplace flexibility than those with no caregiving responsibilities. This finding is important to those who have a vested interest in understanding factors that may promote or undermine workplace policies that have direct impact on workers and their families. Future research and recommendations for practice are made.     

Support in the Workplace: Buffering the Deleterious Effects of Work–Family Conflict on Child Welfare Workers’ Well-Being and Job Burnout

ABSTRACT

We examined the impact of work–family conflict (WFC) on worker well-being and job burnout, as well as the role of social support in the workplace as a potential buffer against the influence of WFC. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses in a cross-sectional sample of 361 public child welfare workers indicate that WFC was related to reduced well-being and increased job burnout, whereas supervisory support moderated the relationship between WFC and well-being. Findings from this study hold implications to workforce management practices aimed at improving worker well-being in human service and child welfare organizations. Human resource management policies designed to manage worker schedules should aim to facilitate workers’ ability to meet work and family demands through programs such as flexible work schedules and telecommuting. Recommendations for future research on WFC and worker well-being are discussed.     

Evaluation of a Support Group for Parents of Children Hospitalized for Cancer and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

ABSTARCT

Social isolation and high levels of psychosocial stress are common among parents of children who are hospitalized for cancer treatment. Many hospital-based programs offer support groups for parents, however there is little published guidance or systematic evidence on their effectiveness. This study describes the development and program evaluation of a 16-week parent support group offered to parents (N = 10) of children hospitalized for pediatric cancer or bone-marrow transplant. A summary of the pilot evaluation is provided and successes, barriers, and areas for future improvement are discussed.     

Measuring Family Caregiver Perceptions of Support in Caring for Children and Youth With Mental Health Concerns

ABSTRACT

This correlational study assessed how families of children with mental illness perceived the levels of support they received from informal and formal resource providers and the associations between perceived support and child outcomes. Adult caregivers (N = 904) of youth receiving public mental health care services were administered the Family Caregiver Perceptions of Support Scale developed by the authors to assess family caregiver perceptions of support prior to and at termination of services. Factor analysis identified three types of caregiver anticipated supports: informal support resources, support for treatment plan influence, and health care resources. The domains were significantly and positively associated with one another but did not uniformly correlate with youth mental health outcomes. The study provides preliminary evidence that treatment gains in youth mental health outcomes are observed when caregivers perceive support in treatment processes. Suggestions for future research are made, stressing the importance of caregivers and providers working together and describing needs related to future scale improvements.     

The experience of sole mothers balancing paid work with care for a child with a disability

There are increasing numbers of families in Australia headed by sole parents, but little is known about the experiences of those who also care for a child with a disability. Additional caring responsibilities have previously been shown to impact on the work participation of parents. This study involved qualitative analyses of interview data conducted with sole mothers with school‐aged children with disability (N = 11). Thematic analysis revealed four themes that enabled and supported participation in the workforce: social support; managing appointments; characteristics of the workplace; and the role of the school. Results suggest the importance of practical help from family and friends in facilitating participation in paid employment. Additionally, the importance of flexible appointment scheduling on the part of service providers was highlighted, as well as the importance of workplace flexibility and supportive workplace cultures. Such factors were important in supporting sole mothers to balance work with care, with important implications for personal and family wellbeing.     

Fight or Flight? Factors Influencing Child Welfare Workers' Propensity to Seek Positive Change or Disengage from Their Jobs

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study tests a theory-driven, conceptual model examining factors supporting or hindering child welfare workers' (n = 359) efforts to speak up (voice) or disengage psychologically (neglect) or physically (exit) from their jobs. Based on path analysis results, key findings indicate that workers who feel included in decision-making are more likely to exercise voice and less likely to engage in neglect. In contrast, workers who experienced supervisory and organizational support are less inclined to exit. The findings should be instructive to scholars and practitioners interested in capturing how employees' responses to stressful and complex work environments are expressed.     

The Understanding and Use of Reflection in Family Support Social Work

ABSTRACT

Previous research emphasizes the need for reflection in complex, dynamic practices, like social work. However, increased governance of the public sector and welfare state has caused a reform, which in turn has affected the layout and conditions of work. Private sector control ideals and ideas from the auditing system have led to a new focus. It is argued that we should subordinate practice approaches – characterized by reflection, proven experience, and tacit knowledge – to manual-based treatment, evaluations, and assessments. This study aims at understanding the role of reflection in social work by investigating its use and valuation by family support social workers. Opportunities and resources for reflection are another focus. Focus group interviews (n = 40) were used to produce data. The need for reflection to conduct highly qualitative social work became evident. The question is not whether to reflect or not, rather how this best can be done, given current time constraints. Reflection was considered a coping mechanism, offering a sense of professional legitimacy. Organizational changes seem to impact on time for reflection. However, when enabling process, learning, and development, it can be argued that reflection is beneficial for several parties. Therefore, reflection requires continued emphasis, highlighting its potential benefits.     

Creative connections: parenting capacity, reading with children and practitioner assessment and intervention

This paper presents some findings from a study of the views of 33 parents from a diversity of backgrounds with children between 0 and 12. Twenty‐two parents were using family support services. They were asked about their views on ‘parenting capacity’ based on the dimensions of The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families (Department of Health et al.) which are now incorporated into the Common Assessment Framework used in Every Child Matters (Department for Education and Skills). They were also asked about reading with their children and how this enhanced their parenting capacities. Their responses were analysed using the parenting capacity dimensions of The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families. It became apparent that this common activity (parent/child reading) contributed much to children's development and to the quality of the child/parent relationship. It also enhanced parenting capacity as described in the parenting capacity dimensions. This paper presents that part of the findings which illustrates the creative connections that exist between the activity of parents and children reading together and the parenting capacity dimensions social workers use in assessment and intervention. These findings are relevant to practitioners working within current policy and practice agendas in children's services, which promote multidisciplinary working and non‐stigmatizing assessments and interventions.     

Toward Empowerment: ReVisioning Family Support Groups

ABSTRACT

Family support groups (FSG) have been recognized as an important and viable means for responding to the needs of family caregivers. How these groups work, however, is not well understood. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to explore the impact of attending a family support group on the caregiving experience from the perspective of the family member. Personal, semi-structured interviews took place with eleven family members who had participated in at least one FSG. Data was analyzed for themes, using a constant comparative categorizing strategy. This analysis suggests that attending a FSG impacts the caregiving experience in four important ways: helping the family member to construct a self-identity as a ‘caregiver’; promoting a sense of personal competence; fostering the use of formal support groups; and creating a community context within which to experience the caregiving role. Cumulatively, these have the potential to contribute to a sense of empowerment for the family member by helping him or her to reposition the caregiving experience as more than a personal issue and promoting the emergence of a more collective voice.     

The Work Experiences of Social Workers: Factors Impacting Compassion Satisfaction and Workplace Stress

Abstract

In 2015, over 6,000 licensed social workers in 13?US states responded to an online survey regarding perceptions and feelings about their work, as well as numerous personal and practice issues. Specifically, this study examined participants’ levels of compassion satisfaction and workplace stress, and then determined through multivariate analyses what demographic factors, behavioral and physical health problems, practice issues, fields of practice, and workplace environment issues impacted these two variables.

The findings indicate that participants demonstrated high levels of compassion satisfaction, with a wide range of workplace stress levels. Workplace environment issues had the greatest impact on both variables, with social workers’ mental health problems, physical health status, and certain demographic factors such as race also influencing them. Over 82% of respondents expressed agreement that they were glad that they chose social work as a profession. The results appear to demonstrate that despite being a potentially stressful occupation, licensed social workers tend to experience significant emotional satisfaction from their work. On the other hand, the results also highlight the need for further research to determine how to enhance support for social workers in the workplace in order to not only reduce workplace stress, but also to increase compassion satisfaction.     

Measuring Young Children's Perceptions of Support, Control, and Maintenance in Their Own Social Networks

Thirty‐eight children (aged 3;7–7;6) and one of their parents took part in a study concerning children's perceptions of their social networks. The study made use of a newly developed instrument—the Support, Control and Maintenance Pictures Interview (SCAMPI). The SCAMPI offers an individualized testing environment, employing computer presentation of questions based on photographs of significant persons familiar to the child. SCAMPI is designed to allow data analysis to be carried out with the aid of built‐in statistical procedures based on permutation and bootstrap techniques that are optimally adapted to the requirements of individualized testing. The study examines the differentiations young children make between persons in their social networks and the functions they fulfil, the level of agreement between children and their parents and the stability of the children's responses.     

The impact of familism on future care planning for Korean parents caring for their children living with disabilities

ABSTRACT

Future care provision is a pervasive concern of parents with children living with disabilities. This article aims to provide an overview of the impact of familism on future care planning for Korean parents. For this qualitative study, data were collected using semi-structured interviews with parents (n = 9) and professionals (n = 9). Using conventional analysis, the study revealed there is strong emphasis on familial care with minimal governmental service provision and intervention; ultimately, this has a negative impact on the planning process. In support of the planning process taking its place as a standard phase of caring, a number of recommendations are made.     

The Impact of Religiousness,Spirituality, and Social Support on Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults in Rural Areas

Summary

This paper presents the results of a study on the impact of spirituality, religiousness, and social support on the psychological well-being among rural elderly. With a rural community sample of 215 older adults, hierarchical regression analyses found significant associations between dimensions of spirituality/religiousness, social support, and psychological well-being, with spirituality/religiousness inversely related to depression and social support, positively related to life satisfaction. Findings of this study suggest that practitioners need to develop programs or services that are congruent with religious/spiritual beliefs and practices in order to better enhance the psychosocial well-being and improve the quality of life among older persons in rural areas.     

Measuring Support Provisions for People Living With Disabilities in South Asia: An Accessibility Index

ABSTRACT

The terms “empowerment,” “rights,” and “inclusiveness” are now commonly used in public policy, but little emphasis is placed on “accessibility” issues in the integration of disabled people. This article proposes a composite index to measure economic support provisions, such as employment, vocational training, microfinance, and safety nets. The index was tested in a case study (N= 245) of two districts in Pakistan. Results support a “cost/benefit”-based philosophy, rather than the “means–ends” goal, where the disabled poor are viewed as unproductive and risky payers, instead of giving them an opportunity to exercise their potential. Change for the disadvantaged poor can be brought about with the mandatory use of this index in local annual audits. Future research might examine the impact of the index and standardize it for global use.     

Work and Care Strategies of European Families: Similarities or National Differences?

This paper examines the work and care strategies chosen by full‐time working families with children in Finland, Italy, Portugal and the UK. It asks whether European families in different countries, facing the same problems of balancing employment and childcare responsibilities, respond to their situations in similar ways. An increase in dual‐earner families where both parents work full‐time represents a general employment trend in today's Europe. Also, within families with children, such employment patterns are now more common than they were previously. National differences may therefore not any longer be as marked as often indicated by country‐based surveys. The qualitative data from the SOCCARE Project offer a way to examine this issue. The focal point of the paper is to make a comparative analysis of couples in similar work and care situations. Using their working hours as the common denominator, this paper analyses their daily childcare arrangements and how these are impacted by gender roles, working schedules, flexibility of workplace, income levels, parents’ educational background and availability of care facilities. The paper concludes that European families’ work and care strategies have many similarities whereby national differences may not be as marked as often indicated by contemporary research.     

Organizational Changes and Job Satisfaction among Support Staff

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to identify job satisfaction amongst support staff employed by a nonprofit company undergoing organizational changes. The Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) scale was used to measure overall job satisfaction and was conducted among 38 workers and the data was analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate that workers were satisfied with some sections of their job but also dissatisfied with some others, scoring an average job satisfaction amongst the participating groups. Factors such as good relations with colleagues, training opportunities, and work flexibility were identified to assist with increasing worker satisfaction. Further suggestions for enhancing employees’ job satisfaction are provided.     

More Nuanced Universal Services for New Parents: Avoiding Assumptions of Homogeneity

Abstract

Universal services focus on prevention and providing the support to parents that will help them meet the challenges of parenthood and deal with problems before they become entrenched. Many countries now have good universal services available for new families, and significant advances have been made in recent years to recognize the importance of the early years in the optimal development of the child. This article is based on a qualitative study of transition to parenthood. The study explored the experience of 25 first-time mothers in socioeconomically diverse circumstances in New Zealand. Eleven partners of these women also participated. Mothers were interviewed three times, first in late pregnancy, then 3 and 12?months after giving birth. Partners were interviewed once, mid-way through the baby’s first year. The article focuses on how participants experienced service support. It illustrates some of the diverse needs of new parents, and explains ways in which prevention services might become more responsive to parents’ expressed needs. The authors offer a case for stronger interplay between universal services and informal systems of support, and the development of a new generation of universal services that act as enablers of natural support hubs for new families within their own communities.     

Kin Financial Support: Receipt and Provision Among Unmarried Mothers

ABSTRACT

Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2,039), we investigate how social resources influence unmarried mothers' provision and receipt of financial support within their social networks and whether patterns of financial support vary by race and ethnicity. Multinomial regression results indicate that relative to neither giving nor receiving, more advantaged mothers have higher odds of providing others with financial help, yet less advantaged mothers do not have consistently higher odds of receiving help. Tests for interactions indicate that financial support may be less available for Blacks in need than for other groups. Our findings provide evidence that because of its unpredictable nature and unequal availability among disadvantaged groups, informal financial support cannot be expected to fill gaps in the public safety net.