An Impossible Balance: Navigating Archival Work and Caregiving Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
This article examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on archival caregivers. The authors explore the effects that remote work arrangements had on archivists; how time-shifting and flexible schedules helped to mitigate the negative impacts the pandemic had on work priorities, caregiving obligations, and interruptions that affected work-life balance; and how pressure to return to on-site work locations altered the tenuous systems archivists erected during the pandemic to manage these competing priorities. A mixed-methods study revealed that managers, leaders, and supervisors at every level of an organization have the power and influence to directly impede or improve both the work and caregiving load borne by the archival workers in their reporting lines. The manager-to-archivist relationship and its impact on care providers extends beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and necessitates a more holistic approach to resources and tools needed to build on and create sustainable relationships of care for archival workers.ABSTRACT
Archival roles sorted by gender from the A*CENSUS II All Archivists Survey; n = 5,262
Archival roles sorted by gender from “The Cost of Care” survey; n = 386. Survey respondents answering the question of whether they served in an administrative position identified as the following genders for nonadministrators: men (22), women (153), transgender or nonbinary (0), and other (1). For administrators, they identified as the following: men (21), women (110), transgender or nonbinary (2), and other (0).
Percentage of responses to the survey question, “Where are you currently working as of January 2021?”; n = 319
Percentage of responses on a 5-level Likert scale to the survey statement, “My role influenced my choice of work location,” as of January 2021
Number of respondents who reported shifting work on a daily basis, both prior to and after March 1, 2020. Some responses to this question are unusually high in terms of the practical number of hours shifted on a daily basis, but we have maintained and reported all responses for comparison.
Number of respondents who reported shifting work on a weekly basis, both prior to and after March 1, 2020
Number of respondents who reported shifting work on a monthly basis, both prior to and after March 1, 2020
Percentage of respondents with caregiving responsibilities for at least one child under age 2 who reported shifting work hours on a daily basis, both before and after March 1, 2020
Percentage of respondents with caregiving responsibilities for at least one child between ages 2 and 9 who reported shifting work hours on a daily basis, both before and after March 1, 2020
Percentage of respondents with caregiving responsibilities for at least one child over age 10 who reported shifting work hours on a daily basis, both before and after March 1, 2020
Responses to the survey question, “How often do you feel that your workday is interrupted by issues related to caregiving?” prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic; n = 269
Responses to the survey question, “How impactful are these interruptions?” prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic; n = 259
Responses to the survey question, “How often do you have feelings of guilt about how these interruptions are handled?” prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic; n = 211
Responses to the survey question, “How often do you have feelings of guilt about how these interruptions are handled?” sorted by those who cared for child(ren) and spouse/partner; n = 193
Responses to the survey question, “Did you experience pressure to return to an in-person work environment?” Respondents could choose multiple sources of pressure that applied to their experience.