Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Aging
Date Submitted: Oct 28, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Nov 20, 2024 - Jan 15, 2025
Date Accepted: Mar 11, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Employers Perspectives of Caregiver-Friendly Workplace Policy for Caregiver-Employees' Caring for Older Adults in Hong Kong: A Thematic Analysis
ABSTRACT
Background:
Hong Kong is experiencing a rapidly ageing population, s0 caregiver- employees in the workplace are not uncommon. However, awareness of such employees is low and caregiver-specific workplace policies are generally unknown. This study is the first in the literature to attempt to capture employers' perspectives on such policies and also their needs in future implementation.
Objective:
The objectives of this study are to identify the support currently provided or could be provided to Caregiver-Employees (CEs) caring for older adults in Hong Kong and the challenges and facilitative support for employers to adopt Caregiver-Friendly Workplace Policies (CFWP) in the specific context of Hong Kong.
Methods:
A qualitative research design with semi-structured individual in-depth interviews with seventeen employers from private, public, and non-governmental organization sectors in Hong Kong was adopted for this study. Thematic framework analysis was used to evaluate the data collected during the interviews.
Results:
Seventeen employers and managers comprising four males (24%) and 13 females (76%) from eight major industries in Hong Kong were interviewed. Four main themes were identified: (1) current support and potential support for CEs, (2) challenges in adopting CFWP, (3) facilitating support for adopting CFWP, and (4) incentives for adopting CFWP. The informants rated information and resources for CEs, bereavement leave, flexible working hours, and caregiver-inclusive corporate culture as the essential CFWP for CEs in Hong Kong.
Conclusions:
While several studies have reported the types of CFWP and their impact on CEs, stakeholders' perspectives on CFWPs are rarely investigated. This study finds that although employers consider CFWP necessary and see it as a catalyst for a long-term win-win situation, the current support for CEs is discretionary and industry-specific. Government leadership is critical for formulating, piloting, and implementing CFWP to create a friendly environment that encourages disclosure with trust and respect across industry sectors in Hong Kong.
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