Abstract:

This paper is based on a qualitative study of forty women who were working full time and carrying a major responsibility for care of an elderly relative. The authors examine the particular problems that the women experienced in attempting to juggle the demands of these two major areas of their lives (along with responsibilities for children and the commitment to other relationships). The authors also explore the implications for the workplace of the findings of this particular study. They highlight the need for provisions and adjustments in workplaces that acknowledge the caring responsibilities of workers and confer legitimacy upon the requests for minor consideration which these participants at times had to make. There is evidence of the need for reincorporating the skills that women such as these have developed in managing their complex and demanding lives. Finally, the authors examine the implications for the careers and future working lives of these women and for their financial security in the immediate future and in the longer term into their own retirement and old age.