work & care practical tools
Careum Research has developed three practical tools on the subject of reconciling work and caring for relatives.
Basis
The project “work & care practical tools” project builds on the knowledge gained from the “work & care 1” research project. The idea was to develop practical tools to raise awareness of the reconciliation of work and caring for relatives in the world of work and politics.
Project
The research team worked with two partners, thkt familienservice GmbH in Winterthur and the Department for the Equality of Men and Women in the canton Basel-Stadt, to develop three tools for employers and employees. They contribute towards facilitating the reconciliation of work and caring for relatives in everyday working life:
- A broad-based information platform with videos, advice and tools for companies, authorities and relatives providing care serves to raise awareness of the subject of reconciling work with caring for relatives.
- A profile brochure provides specific examples of working men and women who have relatives from all generations who need care or who have various health problems.
- Using a survey tool that is suitable for all industries, organisations obtain internal information on the extent of support and care work undertaken by their employees.
Duration
May 2010–October 2011
External funding
Swiss Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOGE) as part of the financial support in accordance with the Equality Act
Partners in practice
“These days, more and more people caring for relatives are working at the same time. It is impossible to plan for the care requirements of ageing parents. They often arise out of the blue and, over the course of time, frequently require increasing levels of support. These factors are physically and mentally onerous and can limit a person's ability to work successfully. Therefore, we want to support employers in developing versatile and needs-orientated ways of relieving the pressure on their employees.”
“The reconciliation of paid and family work is a key factor in progressing towards equality. Men and women rely on appropriate basic conditions at work, to enable them to engage in a partnership that involves both work and care for their relatives. Work & care practical tools make a key contribution in this respect. This is why we are supporting this project.”
Bettina Bannwart, www.gleichstellung.bs.ch
Publications
Bischofberger, I. & Schärli, M. (2011). Unser Leben gleicht einem kleinen Unternehmen. ZESO – Zeitschrift für Sozialhilfe, (4), 30-31. PDF
Bischofberger, I. (2012). work & care: Die Unternehmen sind gefordert. Care Management, 5 (4), 23-25. PDF
van Holten, K., & Ledergerber, A. (2012). Beruf und Angehörigenpflege vereinbaren – Entwicklungen in der Arbeitswelt. Soziale Sicherheit CHSS, (1), 13-16. PDF
van Holten, K., & Schärli, M. (2011). Feierabend gibt es eigentlich nie: Ein Leben mit einem behinderten Kind – die Eltern erzählen aus ihrem Alltag. Care Management, 4 (6), 24-26. PDF
