Balancing the roles of paid employment and unpaid caregiving

The dissertation provides an in-depth examination with regard to working caregivers' perceptions of their experience of combining paid employment and unpaid caregiving responsibilities by studying a sample with diverse caregiving responsibilities within an Australian context. A case study approach using primarily a semi-structured, face-to-face interviewing method was employed for the present study. Self-imposed silence in the workplace and a disinclination to share stories are dominant themes. This research found that balancing the roles of paid employment and unpaid caregiving was manageable due to informal flexibility granted at the workplace as a result of long tenure, rather than support from friends, colleagues and use of formal programs. Findings from this study have implications for employers, policy makers within organisations, health professionals and the wider society.