1. Combining paid work and family care-giving in Poland
Jolanta Perek-Białas
Institute of Statistics and Demography, Warsaw School of Economics
Institute of Sociology, Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland
IFA, Prague, Czech Republic
30.05.2012
1 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

2. Four possible situations
CARE
YES NO
WORK YES Usually full time Not popular in PL
working and caring as
primary carer
NO Not active – on Not popular in PL
retirement – the
consequnces of early
exit from the labour
market
More problems for families
Dominant in the future
Dominant in the past and still at present Less or even no
problems for the state!
2 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

3. Main issue
 This is important to think about conflict between
increased employment rate of workers (female) and
increased need for giving a care to older family members
– solutions?
 There is a need to think not only on macro organization
of health care system but as well on mezo and micro level
in these countries beyond the health care systems
(regional differences)
3 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

4. How it is organized and what are
preferences?
 Polish society with its traditional family model considers
care of a dependant older persons to be an obligation of
a society and of primary importance to the wellbeing of
seniors.
 Different surveys show that the majority of society (like
in the study of Kotowska 2008 as much as 90 %) think
that the care of older people should be the duty of their
children or other relatives (respectively 80%).
4

5. Adult population who feel that dependent elderly
people have to rely too much on their relatives
Source: Health and long-term care in the European Union, Special Eurobarometer 283/
Wave 67.3 – TNS Opinion & Social, 2007 (selected countries)
5 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

6. Family vs. institutions
 The importance of the family as the primary caregivers
and the location of care in the household of the care
recipients is undoubtful in opposition to the
institutionalized care.
 The study of Eurofamcare showed that 87% of
respondents - carers declared that they would not place
the older person in a care home institution under any
circumstances. Only 11% would consider such an option if
the condition of the person they cared for would worsen
(Czekanowski 2006: 105).
6

7. Attitudes regarding care for the
Source: Health and long-term care in the European Union,
elderly Special Eurobarometer 283/ Wave 67.3 – TNS Opinion &
Social, 2007 (selected countries)
7 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

8. Availability and access to nursing
homes Source: Health and long-term care TNS Opinion & Social, 2007
Eurobarometer 283/ Wave 67.3 –
in the European Union, Special
(selected countries)
8 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

9. WORK or/and CARE
Working care
giver (VW project)
Employers
(ASPA project)
Not working
persons who need
to take care
(Human Balance
Capital)
9 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

10. Share of women and men who provide care for
persons aged 60 and more by age (% of persons in
age group)
Source: seePraca a obowiązki 2005, p. 39 and as well Szatur-
Jaworska, Rysz-Kowalczyk 2007
10

11. Social policy context
 Current situation: so far exisiting standard measures
including some financial allowonces and access to nursing
services and nursing homes
 i.e. 14 days of paid leave per year if someone is employed
 Proposal: nursing insurance – initiative of the MP (leading
party) and a group of experts – so called „Green book”
launched in September 2010

12. Working caregiver perspective
VW project

13. Typical conflicts at work
 Lack of concentration and constant “thinking” of the
care
 Tiredness and stress, worsened physical condition (e.g
spine aches)
 Hindrance or limitation to their professional careers or
working opportunities (taking part in trainings, conferneces,
etc)
 Changes to organization/hours of work („bringing work
home”, re-arranging work schedule, need to take a sick leave)
 Lack of possibility for additional income
 The self – employed : fewer conflicts, reconciliation easier
21 persons reported „no impact” on work

14. Typical conflicts in private life
 Lack of time „for everything”
 Conflicts with family members (very often with siblings)
 Everyday stress, hassle
 Depression
 Health deterioration
 Abandonment of social life, limited possibility for relax
and leisure activities

15. Dimensions of help/support
Help with the care Help to the carer (e.g exemption
(„sharing” care tasks) from other household duties)
Help on everyday Occasional/emergency
basis help
Active help (with
caring tasks) Psychological help
Financial help

16. Support measures received by our
working carers
WORK – occasional & emergency
• No formal regulations, only informal agreements
with line managers
• Co-workers as „potential substitution” at work
STATE - everyday basis HEALTH
THIRD
• Home carers (co-financed by the families of the elderly) CARE
SECTOR SYSTEM
• Financial subsidy
FAMILY – everyday basis & emergency & occasional FRIENDS,
• spouse and children NEIGHBOURS
• extended family (including financial support)

17. Successful strategies
 Family:
 „networking”
Instrumental  „supplementing”
strategies  „linking method”
 Logistics and good
organization
 Time out (leisure, sports)
 Stress management/positive
Psychologic thinking
 Work as balance
al strategies  Thinking ahead

18. Some needs and expectations
 Towards different state stakeholders:
 System of information
 Daily care centers, especially in rural area
 Increase number of hours of formal carers
 Possibility to have support in case of emergency
 Towards employers:
 Work from home
 Flexible working hours
 Towards civil society:
 Creating social networks (neighbouring support at local leven
needed)

19. Not working caregiver perspective
Balance of Human Capital Survey, 2011

20. NOT able to WORK because of CARE
 7% of respondents is saying that it makes difficult to find a
job because of a need to take care of older family
member
 Mostly:
 Women (~70%)
 rural and cities between 100-199 th (13.6%)
 45-54 (31.5%)
 Married/partners
 Education
Source: Human Capital Balance Survey, 2011, 2nd Wave
20 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

21. Employers perspective
ASPA project

22. Disruption from care responsibilities
How often do family elder care responsibilities (e.g. towards parents, parents-in-law etc.)
disrupt the daily work of older employees (50-plus)?
90,0
80,0
70,0
60,0
50,0
40,0
30,0
20,0
10,0
0,0
Never Occasionally Often
Men Women
Source: ASPA project, own calculation for selected countries, sample size of PL = 1044
22 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

23. Work – care options
(occasionally/often)
1. Abseentism/Sick leave - 46.9%
2. Reduce working hours - 28.2%
3. Retire early - 24%
4. Give up working - 9.5%
5. Increase working hours - 9.5%
Q: Employees cope differently with the combination of work and family elder care responsibilities. To
balance work and care, how often do older employees (50-plus) choose to ...
Source: ASPA project, own calculation for selected countries, sample size of PL = 1044
23 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

24. Some recommendations

25. General recommendations
1. Various, tailored and adequate solutions of helping
employed who have to work and care
2. More public debate with various actors to implement
various measures
3. More education and information to explain what could be
done to help working caregivers
25

26. More concrete recommendations for
reconciliation work and care
 Introduction flexible forms of work (ie. different hours)
 special leaves of absence and allowances (the risk that the
idea is great but who can finance it?)
 support in care giving obligations (NGO’s)
 special bonuses from employers (ie. financial and as well
additional help)
26

27. More detailed recommendations for
reconciliation work and care
 remuneration for the persons caring for their old
relatives
 enabling non-full time employment
 assuring (by the State) public services for the care givers
 organization of trainings and workshops dealing with the
practical problems of caring for an older person
 social actions promoting family bonds and raising
awareness about the duties towards elderly parents
27

28. References
Activating Senior Potentials in Ageing Europe
http://www.aspa-eu.com/
28 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University

29. References
 Carers@Work
 Between Job and Care: Conflict or Opportunity?
 A Strategy for Securing Sustainable Future Care
and Productivity Potentials in an Ageing Society -
A European Comparison
Project with J. Stypińska at the Jagiellonian
University, Cracow, Poland
http://www.carersatwork.tu-dortmund.de/en/index.php
29

30. THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION!
jolanta.perek-bialas@uj.edu.pl
30 Jolanta Perek-Bialas, Warsaw School of
Economics, Jagiellonian University