Manawatu homecare support workers’ work-related quality of life post the implementation of the Care and Support Worker Pay Equity Settlement Act 2017 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Public Health at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
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2021
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Massey University
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This research explores the effects of the Care and Support Worker (Pay Equity) Settlement Act (2017) on work-related quality of life of homecare support workers. Previous investigation of the Act’s implementation on the care and support workforce has been highlighted by Douglas and Ravenswood (2019), in their Value of Care report. This thesis specifically investigates female homecare support workers in the Manawatū/Midcentral region, which was not previously investigated, and applies Van Laar et al.’s (2007) Work-related Quality of Life as an appropriate framework for investigating support workers’ experiences and subjective perceptions of their working environment through four psycho-social subscales: working conditions, stress at work, work-life balance, and job and career satisfaction. In addition, a focus on extrinsic working conditions relating to remuneration is incorporated. The experiences of eight support workers were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data obtained was then thematically analysed within the four set (psycho-social) components. Five key-themes were identified: organisation and intensity of work for working conditions; co-worker working relations for working conditions; stress related to the organisation and intensity of work; organisation and intensity of work for work-life balance, and management support and communication affecting job satisfaction. These key-themes (and three supporting themes) with other codes within the data of the four set components reveal the implementation of the Care and Support Worker (Pay Equity) Settlement Act 2017 has adversely affected the Manawatū homecare support worker participants’ work-related quality of life. Hence, the Act’s intention of improving conditions and attaining pay equity and value of work was not met for the majority of these workers. These findings also illustrate the need for applying sector specific guidelines for support workers and addressing sector standard regulations for providers. Along with further examination, and careful reassessment of how fiscal measures are applied within the implementation of future Acts.