|
The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the attributes of workers who choose to take leave when a member of their family is in need of care, and to clarify the form this leave should take to increase the potential for balancing care with employment. To this end, the author carried out empirical analysis of the fac-tors behind various choices of leave. The following facts emerged from the analysis. Firstly, the likelihood of taking leave increases when the main caregiver ratio is higher, and this also tends to encourage absenteeism, in particular. Secondly, leave is more prone to be taken when the spouse works longer hours, especially when the spouse?s employment format makes it impossible to control those working hours. Ab-senteeism is also more prone to occur if the spouse is a regular employee, and the likelihood of taking annual leave rises more or less significantly when the spouse is a regular or non-regular employee, or when there is no spouse. Thirdly, there is a greater likelihood that leave will be taken when the person receiving care is admitted to a general hospital or geriatric hospital; caregiver leave and annual leave are particularly likely to be taken in such cases. Fourthly, absenteeism is more prone to occur when the caregiver has a lower annual income. And fifthly, absenteeism is also more prone to occur if the caregiver is not a regular employee. Based on the above results, it became clear that the caregiving environment of family members is varied, and that there is a need not only for caregiver leave that can be taken long-term but also for time off work in single-day units. |
