Geographical isolation and a lack of gender-sensitive and caregiver-friendly workplace policies
(CFWPs) in work settings lead to adverse impacts on the economic, emotional, and physical
health of Transnational Carer-Employees (TCEs). TCEs are employed immigrants who engage
in caregiving to their loved ones across borders while residing in the host country. The secondary
analysis conducted herein looked at the experiences, commonalities, and differences among 29
TCEs from Pakistani, Syrian, African, and South American backgrounds living in London,
Ontario, before and after COVID-19. Constructivism and intersectionality informed thematic
analysis of the data highlighted that among the respondents, care is a religious obligation,
influenced by culture as the eldest child or those living abroad are expected to help family back
home and that men provide more financial caregiving whereas women divulge in higher physical
and emotional care. Results also exhibit that TCEs work in low-skilled jobs due to a lack of
English proficiency, care is limited because of financial barriers, and employer support, financial
relief, and increased vacation time are the recommendations by TCEs for workplace policies.
This thesis further showcases that there are more similarities than differences between the four
visible minority cohorts. Most participants observed satisfaction after providing transnational
care, whereas a few interviewees of Syrian and African origin reported feeling overwhelmed.
While many TCEs observed low income and decreased work opportunities after COVID-19, a
few participants of African ethnicity, working in essential services, disclosed an increased
workload post-pandemic. This research reveals that to manage their care and work duties, visible
minority TCEs apply four common coping strategies in their lives: praying, keeping busy,
staying active, and family support. Implications of this thesis include the promotion of CFWPs in
places of employment to sustain the welfare of TCEs and the Canadian economy. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Transnational Carer-Employees (TCEs) are immigrants who provide caregiving to their families
or friends in other nations while being employed in the country of resettlement. Immigrants are
an integral part of the Canadian population growth and economy; however, their simultaneous
work and unpaid care outside Canada have negative impacts on their well-being. The goal of this
thesis was to explore the experiences of visible minority TCEs living in London, Ontario, before
and after COVID-19. This research determines that many participants experience deskilling, are
unaware of carer-friendly policies, and believe that caregiving is a cultural expectation. Findings
also illuminate that care varies by gender, can lead to both feelings of reward and frustration, and
that TCEs are unable to provide their desired level of care due to financial constraints. This
research urges employers to accommodate TCEs through Care-Friendly Workplace Policies
(CFWPs) in work settings such that the health of TCEs can be improved.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/29089 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Shahbaz, reemal |
| Contributors | Williams, Allison, Sethi, Bharati, Wahoush, Olive, Global Health |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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