[Workplace environment in continuing employment from the perspectives of former family caregivers: Based on free-response comments from a web survey of employees at large-scale corporations].

Objectives　Although previous research has shown that those who quit their jobs for caregiving have underutilized support systems and experienced a lack of employer understanding, there are few reports on how employees with caregiving responsibilities manage to continue their careers. This study aimed to clarify the workplace environment for continuing employment by focusing on the experiences of former family caregivers.Methods　Of the 5,695 former family caregivers, 519 freely described their experiences in a survey on work-care balance conducted in 2024 among large-scale corporations. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Descriptions regarding the workplace environment for continuing employment were extracted and coded with due care to avoid identifying individuals. Subsequently, these codes were categorized and subcategorized at higher levels of abstraction, organized into factors that either facilitate or hinder continued employment within the workplace environment.Results　In total, 214 caregivers provided relevant descriptions. Of them, 128 (59.8%) were women, predominantly in their 50s (n＝108, 50.5%). The codes relevant to workplace environments that promote continuing employment were divided into four categories: "improving support systems," "expansion of support programs," "sustainability of support system and understanding regarding caregiving," and "creating a supportive organizational culture for caregiving." Conversely, the codes relevant to workplace environments that hinder continuing employment were categorized into five categories: "job roles and organizational structures that hinder work-care balance," "gap between support system and actual caregiving situations," "career penalties associated with the use of support systems," "lack of understanding regarding caregiving," and "turnover intention resulting from lack of support and understanding."Conclusion　Although some individuals continued employment because of well-established corporate support systems and an understanding of those around them, others found limitations in the existing systems and a lack of understanding of caregiving. Additionally, remaining in the workforce was difficult for some, owing to their specific job characteristics, despite having access to support systems and understanding. This highlights that the primary challenges lie in the operation of support systems and workforce structures. Therefore, it is essential not only to expand support systems and foster a care-aware organizational culture but also to establish frameworks for long-term human resource development and employment support that anticipate employees' life events, such as family caregiving.