Survey finds over 80% of working carers report positive benefits from caregiving
A survey by Tung Wah College found that 82% of working carers see positive benefits from caregiving, but nearly 60% report heavy burdens. Flexible hours and remote work help, yet over half of respondents have never used such measures. Researchers urge employers to expand caregiver-friendly policies.
A survey by Tung Wah College on the physical and mental well-being of working carers has found that among about 560 respondents, nearly 60 per cent reported a heavy caregiving burden, while 82 per cent said the caregiving experience brought them positive benefits. The findings suggest that work and caregiving are not necessarily in conflict, and that with adequate support, working carers can still gain a sense of fulfilment.
The most commonly used caregiver-friendly measures among respondents were flexible working hours, cited by 33 per cent, followed by part-time work at 17 per cent and working from home at 13 per cent. Flexible hours and remote work were found to be most effective in alleviating caregiving and psychological stress. However, the data also showed that more than half of respondents had never used any of these arrangements, reflecting that such measures are not yet widespread in the workplace. Possible reasons include application thresholds, workplace culture, or employees' lack of awareness of the options.
The study indicated that respondents who used these friendly measures reported lower levels of depressive symptoms and caregiver burden. The research team believes that if companies more actively promote and encourage employees to use such arrangements, it could help improve employee well-being and workplace sustainability.
Professor Lau Hei-bo of the Faculty of Humanities at Tung Wah College, who led the research, said the results show that with appropriate support, work and caregiving can not only coexist but even reinforce each other. He recommended that enterprises continue to promote caregiver-friendly measures such as flexible working hours, working from home, and leave arrangements. In terms of social welfare services, he suggested extending daytime service hours and even developing more flexible and convenient private elderly care services to meet the needs of different families.
The survey was conducted in two phases. The first phase, carried out last year, involved an online questionnaire survey of 566 working carers aged between 21 and 73. This was followed by in-depth interviews with 30 respondents to understand their actual experiences and needs.