Informal Caregivers along the Work–Eldercare Axis: A Comparative Analysis of Australia, England, and Israel

Abstract

Contemporary Western societies face an increasing demand for informal care. The primary goals of the present article are to understand the degree to which employment rights support the needs of working carers’ of elder age relatives and to underscore the need to promote social policies to better secure both working carers and their older relatives. Drawing on findings showing that high-intensity caregiving is associated with a reduction in the labour pool for paid work and negatively affects employment status and career, this study examines how employment legislation support working caregivers from an international perspective. The study utilizes an intrinsic and case study research design to compare the employment rights and entitlements in Australia, England, and Israel. The findings indicate that, first, all three countries surveyed provide basic protection through statutory employment rights which are categorized under three fundamental occupational entitlements: Paid or Unpaid Leave, Sick Days and Equal Rights. Secondly, while Australia and England maintain a legal right to request flexible work to care for elder relatives, the analysis foregrounds the absence of flexible employment legislation in Israel. Thought that the aim of balancing limited public resources with family resources requires a broad understanding of concrete legislation, such comparison can inform policy targeted to reconcile distress along the work–eldercare axis.