Transitioning Into Informal Care During Working Age: Longitudinal Evidence on the Work–Family Interface Among Employees in Germany

Abstract Previous research has examined the impact of informal caregiving on labour market participation and health, but findings remain inconclusive, often due to endogeneity problems. This study aims to advance our understanding of the mechanisms linking informal caregiving with work-related outcomes. Drawing on theories of role conflict and role enhancement and on the literature on work-family reconciliation in the context of parenthood, we identified two mechanisms – work-family conflict and family-work conflict – that have been suspected behind the health and labour market effects of caregiving. Using data from a representative longitudinal survey of the workforce in Germany (the BAuA–Working Time Survey (BAuA-WTS)), we analysed whether transitioning into (various intensities of) caregiving affects work-family and family-work conflict. To reduce the problem of endogeneity, we applied a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design with propensity score matching. We found that, after adjusting for selection into caregiving, the transition into caregiving is associated only with higher family-work conflict, but does not significantly impact work-to-family conflict. The increase in family-work conflict is greater for those reporting higher caregiving frequency. These results suggest that caregiving interferes with employment, highlighting the need for interventions at both the company and policy levels.