Factors Contributing to Work Satisfaction for Employees with Exceptional Care Responsibilities

Emerging research from disability samples suggests that the interaction between complex care and employment has negative physical, social, and financial outcomes for caregivers (Seltzer, Greenberg, Floyd, Pettee, & Hong, 2004). Research on disability-related care and employment of family caregivers finds families will adjust their work or family arrangements as a result of the social contexts of disability and absence of services in the community (Brennan & Brannan, 2005; Rosenzweig, Barnett, Huffstutter, & Stewart, 2008). To date studies have not compared the experiences of employed family caregivers with exceptional care responsibilities (care for children, adults, and elders with disabilities) with those with typical care responsibilities. This study addresses this gap through a secondary analysis of the National Study of the Changing Workforce (2002), using multiple regression and multiple groups SEM techniques to explore whether the strength of workplace supports function to produce similar levels of workplace satisfaction for family caregivers with these two types of care responsibilities. A sub-sample of data from wage and salaried workers who were parents was analyzed (n = 1,902). Fifty-one percent were female; 76% were legally married or living with a partner. Seventy-four percent of the parents were white, 11% were African American, 9% were Hispanic/Latino, and 4% were of other ethnicities. Participants were grouped into two categories: typical care (n₁ = 1,708) and exceptional care responsibility (n₂ = 187) based on their responses to disability-related care items. Work satisfaction was assessed using three items (α= .70). In step 1, the demographic variables predicted 7% of work satisfaction, F (4, 1455) = 31.00, p < .001. When type of care provided, coworker support, supervisor support, formal benefits, work-family conflict, and family-work conflict were added to the equation in step 2, work satisfaction was significantly predicted, F Change (7, 1448) = 114.01, p < .001; R² Change = .34. The strongest predictor in the final model for work satisfaction was coworker support (β =.26, p < .001), followed by workplace culture (β = .21, p < .001) and supervisor support (β =-.16, p < .001). The data were then entered into AMOS 17.0 and the theoretical model based on the predictors established from the regression model was run for both groups. The baseline model for work satisfaction had 136 parameters (df = 282, n₁ = 1,708, n₂ =187) and yielded excellent fit (Χ² = 652.02, p <.001, CFI = .96, RMSEA = .026). When the paths between the predictors were constrained to test for measurement and structural invariance, the test of the structural model was significant (Χ² = 722.81, p <.001, CFI = .96, RMSEA=.026). For the exceptional care group informal supports and workplace culture exerted stronger direct effects and some workplace supports had no significant effect on work satisfaction. For the typical care group the relationship between workplace supports and work satisfaction were both direct and indirect, demonstrating that work-family conflict acted as a mediator to work satisfaction. Findings will be discussed in relation to how workplaces and practitioners in the community can support the flexibility needs of employed exceptional caregivers.