P-184 Process Evaluation of a Workplace Participatory Approach to Support Caregiving Employees in Balancing Work, Private Life and Informal Care

Introduction Many organizations are faced with growing numbers of employees who combine paid work with informal care. To support working caregivers in maintaining a good balance between work, private life and informal care, a workplace Participatory Approach (PA) intervention focusing on discussing challenges and finding solutions, was implemented in three Dutch organizations. Methods Using the implementation framework of Steckler and Linnan (2002), a process evaluation was performed among participating caregivers, their supervisors, and trained occupational professionals who guided the PA. After the PA (on average 4 months), we collected questionnaires (36 caregivers; 15 supervisors) and 31 checklists filled in by professionals, and conducted semi-structured interviews among 18 caregivers, 10 professionals and 4 supervisors. Results Preliminary results show that participants and occupational professionals were positive about the PA as a method to support caregiving employees in finding an optimal balance. Employees felt supported in their caregiver role, while the PA provided structure to guide the conversation and helped to achieve improvements in multiple domains. Yet, supervisors were not always successfully involved in the PA. Cited reasons were hesitations to discuss issues in the private domain with supervisors and fear of being seen as a difficult employee. Also, a heavy workload of supervisors played a role. Discussion Caregivers and supervisors experience barriers in discussing employees’ caregiving responsibilities. Conclusion The PA can make an important contribution to the support and work-life-care balance of working caregivers. This does require that employers continuously invest in creating a caregiver-friendly climate in which it is encouraged and safe to discuss informal care.