Employment: The Role of Work Interruptions and Supportive Employers

This study investigates pathways by which employed caregivers ’ stress is related to their work performance appraisal, with particular attention to work interruptions and supportive employers. Based on a nationally representative sample from the 2004 National Long-Term Care Survey (NLTCS), the study focuses on caregivers to older adults who are currently participating in paid employment (N = 652). Results from structural equation modeling indicate that work inter-ruptions mediate the relationship between caregivers ’ stress and their work performance appraisal. In addition, the support of employers moderates the relationship between employed caregivers ’ stress and their work interruptions as well as the relationship between their work interruptions and work perfor-mance appraisal. These results point to the need for training supervisors and help-ing them to understand the potential dual effects of their support on employed caregivers ’ work interruptions and performance. Keywords employed caregivers, caregivers ’ stress, work performance, informal support As more women participate in paid jobs and more men share family responsibilities with women, there has been an increasing number of workers who must combin