Dr. Jürgen P. Rinderspacher explains why having a job and caring for relatives need not be a conflict
An increasing number of people who go out to work are facing the challenge of finding a balance between their job and caring for loved ones. The willingness to take on the care of a relative is still relatively high in Germany, but it depends very much on whether supportive measures are in place which create the conditions to enable everyone involved to find a satisfactory balance between family, job and care.
In future it will be necessary for decision-makers to see care-work as a whole – and the responsibility for caring for relatives in particular – as an integral part of the life of anyone who goes out to work. Experience shows that not all the supportive measures designed for parents with small children can be transferred to employees caring for relatives. Care, for example, cannot be planned, timewise, in the same way that parenthood can, as it can become necessary without any prior warning. In the requirements which it imposes, care is not "linear" and is often marked by unforeseeable situations which occur suddenly. Also, in contrast to looking after children, caring for relatives tends to involve a greater workload as time progresses, because children become increasingly independent in the course of time. In addition, the emotional burden increases in the case of care.
The aim of creating care-sensitive working times is the flexible adaptation of work requirements – as regards both the time aspect and the job-content – to the most widely differing care situations. After all, each case of care is different. The guiding principle here is that gainful employment and the simultaneous responsibility of caring for someone should be possible, because any employee affected should not have to suffer any financial loss or any disadvantages at work. Equally, going out to work is a counterpart to the demands made on anyone who provides care. Anyone doing so needs a good balance between job, care and freetime. And, last but not least, the thing to remember is that people who provide care have to be able to do so, at a good level, for what may be a long time – the average is eight years – without ending up needing care themselves.
The most important elements of "care-sensitive working hours" are:
A full-time job that takes account of care-work: This would be a specific form of reduced working hours, but not the same as normal part-time work, as there would be (partial) financial compensation.
Being contactable at the workplace and allowing interruptions to work during the day: This means being contactable by telephone, but also with the possibility, during working hours, of writing emails which are related to care-work.
Results-oriented working: The prime criterion for measuring performance should not be constant presence at work but the actual level of commitment shown and the success achieved.
Suitable profile of tasks and activities: Taking on private care-work can lead to employees temporarily wanting to depart from their normal work profile, at their own request, in order to reduce their workload.
The concept of "care-sensitive working hours" – tailored to the company situation – is not, however, enough by itself to produce an overall balance between job and care-work. Such a challenge can only be met if it is seen as a task to be shouldered by society as a whole. This means that achieving a balance between job and care-work makes demands on all players in society: not only the state, civil society, and employers and trade unions, but every single one of us.
Dr. Jürgen P. Rinderspacher works at the Institute of Ethics and Associated Social Sciences at Münster University. The principle results of the study entitled "Care-Sensitive Working Hours. Realities and Requirements of Employees Providing Care" can be seen at go.wwu.de/iqaug.
Support offered by Münster University for people providing care
Staff or students at Münster University providing care for relatives presents a big challenge, because as a rule such a situation occurs unexpectedly. The University provides support for anyone concerned in the form of practical information and advice on how to achieve a balance between caring for relatives and working or studying. Organizational, legal and financial aspects are explained on the family portal website. Iris Oji, who runs the Family Service Office, also offers personal advice sessions. People providing care also have the opportunity to exchange views and experiences in regular network meetings. The next date will be announced shortly on the family portal.
This guest commentary was first published in the University newspaper "wissen|leben", issue No. 8, 14 December 2016.
Translated from German by Ken Ashton