The impact of the time spent and the frequency of giving informal care on concentration at work and the influence of temporal flexibility.

Abstract

Informal caregiving plays a crucial role in the Dutch healthcare system and in today’s society. However, the individual’s ability to provide informal care is under growing pressure in which their employer can fulfil a crucial role. The impact of the time and frequency of giving informal care on concentration at work, as well as the role of temporal flexibility, remains largely unexplored in existing literature. This study examined how the time spent and frequency of informal caregiving affect concentration at work, and whether temporal flexibility (the ability to determine the timing of one’s tasks) plays a moderating role. Therefore, the following research question was examined: ‘To what extent does the time spent and frequency of informal caregiving affect the ability to concentrate at work and does temporal flexibility influence this relationship?’. A interdisciplinary approach was used with perspectives originating from economics, organizational psychology and resource management. The possibility of a positive impact of temporal flexibility was taken into consideration in the analysis. The dataset used for this study was the Informal care - IZG 2019 (N=2618). This original study of this dataset provided insights into the number of individuals in the Netherlands involved in informal care. Based on a binary logistic regression analysis, this study researches that spending more hours on informal caregiving is associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing concentration problems at work. Providing daily informal care increases the odds of reduced concentration at work compared to those who provide care occasionally or not at all. No moderating effect of temporal flexibility was observed, which could mean that temporal flexible work arrangements are not sufficient to mitigate the mental load of caregiving responsibilities This study recommends an integrated employer approach to reduce mental strain among informal caregivers. Flexibility may help, though it carries risks. Supervisor training, shorter workweeks where feasible, clear communication, and emotional support can all contribute to reducing cognitive burden and supporting caregiving employees.