How do Informal Caregivers of Seniors’ Tasks Lead to Presenteeism and Absenteeism Behaviors? A Canadian Quantitative Study

This study extends our knowledge on the role of informal caregivers of seniors and the impact of this role on presenteeism and absenteeism at work. Based on the conservation of resources theory, this article seeks to gain insights into the mechanisms and antecedents of presenteeism and absenteeism among employees who are also informal caregivers of seniors. Specifically, this article argues that family–work conflict and emotional exhaustion mediate the relationship between the informal caregiver’s role, presenteeism, and absenteeism. Quantitative data (questionnaire) from this cross-sectional study were collected from 915 informal caregivers of seniors from 8 Canadian organizations. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was undertaken using IBM SPSS AMOS 28.0 to test all hypotheses. Informal caregivers of seniors who need to coordinate and organize healthcare are at a higher risk of experiencing family–work conflict. Family–work conflict experienced by informal caregivers subsequently leads to emotional exhaustion, presenteeism, and absenteeism. Because informal caregiving of seniors is likely to increase in coming years for many workers, organizations must be aware of the possible consequences of this role on work productivity. This study shows that not all tasks of informal caregivers of older adults lead to presenteeism and absenteeism through family–work conflict and emotional exhaustion. This study is innovative because, to our knowledge, no study of informal caregivers of older adults has examined the effect of different tasks in this role on presenteeism and absenteeism.