‘If I Had a Family, There Is No Way That I Could Afford to Work Here’: Juggling Paid and Unpaid Care Work in Social Services

Abstract

Drawing on three case studies in each of Australia, New Zealand and Scotland, this article explores how care workers employed in the social services sector negotiate their unpaid care responsibilities in the context of lean work organization and low pay. For younger workers, the unrelenting demands of service provision and low pay made any long-term commitment to working in social services unrealistic, while many female workers experienced significant stress as they bent their unpaid care responsibilities to the demands of their paid work. However, male workers, less likely to have primary caring responsibilities, appeared less troubled by the prioritizing of paid over unpaid care work and less likely to self-exploit for the job. At the same time, there is a widespread acceptance across different national and organizational contexts that the work/family juggle is a personal responsibility rather than a structural problem caused by the demands of underfunded and overstretched organizations.

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“…These disruptions tend to result in fewer years of job tenure, less accumulated wealth and lower earnings compared with men of the same age (Pleau, ; Post et al, ). The economics and implications of caring on women's careers have been well studied, particularly as women's workforce participation has increased, sparking debate and scholarship over the impact and economic implications of changing role dynamics (Charlesworth, Baines, & Cunningham, ; Folbre, ). While the work–family juggle is perceived as a personal rather than structural problem (Charlesworth et al, ), skills shortages and an ageing population have created an environment where caring responsibility has become a public issue.…”

“…The economics and implications of caring on women's careers have been well studied, particularly as women's workforce participation has increased, sparking debate and scholarship over the impact and economic implications of changing role dynamics (Charlesworth, Baines, & Cunningham, ; Folbre, ). While the work–family juggle is perceived as a personal rather than structural problem (Charlesworth et al, ), skills shortages and an ageing population have created an environment where caring responsibility has become a public issue. Many organizations provide formal policies, but these do not ‘necessarily guarantee practical access to family‐friendly conditions.…”

“…Many organizations provide formal policies, but these do not ‘necessarily guarantee practical access to family‐friendly conditions. The demands of paid care work and the way it is organized combine to create what are arguably family‐hostile conditions’ (Charlesworth et al, , p. 610). Moreover, a lack of superannuation (Australian Government, ; Lattouf, ) and increasing age pension requirements push women to work for longer.…”

Flexible working arrangements in residential aged care: applying a person–environment fit model

“…The aged‐care sector has been associated with poor work conditions, including lower pay and perceived status than comparable sectors (Charlesworth, Baines and Cunningham ; King, Wei and Howe ; Nay, Garratt and Koch ). Residential aged‐care work, in particular, is recognised as physically and emotionally demanding (Edvardsson et al.…”

A Hitchhiker's Guide to caring for an older person before and during coronavirus‐19

“…Women become unwaged carers at 46 on average, men at 57 (Graham, 2019). Charlesworth, Baines, and Cunningham (2015) showed that caring disproportionately affects women's ability to work and subsequent finances.…”