Affiliations: Université Toulouse 2 le Mirail - Laboratoire
CLLE-LTC UMR 5263 CNRS, Toulouse, France | CINBIOSE, Université du Qu\'{e}bec à
Montréal, Montréal, Canada
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Béatrice Barthe,
Université Toulouse 2 le Mirail – Laboratoire CLLE-LTC UMR 5263
CNRS, Maison de la Recherche / 5, Allées Antonio-Machado, 31058 Toulouse
Cedex 5, France. Tel.: +33 5 61 50 35 21; Fax: +33 5 61 50 35 33; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Objective: Workers' attempts to accommodate family needs may be
considered illegitimate in the paid work sphere. Their attempts at work-family
balancing (WFB) in that sphere can remain invisible, even when those attempts
require considerable energy. Since identification of WFB strategies can
potentially lead to suggestions to improve management practices, we report an
attempt to find them in the work sphere. Participants: 14 care aides in a Québec residence for seniors
and 2~schedule managers were recruited. Methods: Qualitative ergonomic analysis was employed. 24 hours
observation; interviews of nursing and human resources staff; qualitative
ergonomic analysis by two researchers; feedback collected from meetings with
management and union. Strategies for schedule choice were compared between care
aides with heavier vs. lighter family responsibilities. Results: For workers with heavier family responsibilities, choice of
work schedules was almost entirely conditioned by family considerations,
leaving little leeway to manage workers' own health protection. Conclusions: Family constraints affected activity at work, and
strategies for handling family constraints could potentially be affected by
changes in work organization. Managers should encourage full discussion of
work-family balancing strategies if they wish to adapt their working conditions
to the workers, and ergonomists should include this balancing as a facet of
work activity, despite possible negative consequences.
