Supporting Employees with Caring Responsibilities

It’s Carers Week, and it's a good opportunity to recognise that many people are balancing work alongside caring responsibilities at home. Whether that’s supporting children or elderly parents, or the demands that come from supporting loved ones with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Working carers face pressures that are often hidden but which greatly impact their wellbeing and working life. 

For employers, it’s crucial to create a supportive environment; it’s the right thing to do, and it also makes sense for you. A supported employee is one who is going to stick around, and providing the right level of support creates consistency for you and your employee.

But what is the right level of support? 

The answer is, of course, it depends. Offering flexible working and encouraging open and supportive conversations are an excellent starting point, and it’s incredibly important that employees learn from those conversations the challenges carers are facing. Only then is it possible to consider what the individual needs and assess whether you have workplace policies in place that cover and provide for this. Employers should also be ready to signpost to available wellbeing support and external organisations that can support them and their loved ones. 

What about legal obligations?

Carers can be covered under the Equality Act, which means that if the person they are supporting has acute and long term needs you need to consider how you support them. These things aren't always obvious, so if a person is taking time to attend appointments with a disabled family member then ask questions and seek to understand what is happening. 

Carer’s Leave

Under UK legislation introduced in April 2024, eligible employees have the right to take up to one week of unpaid Carer’s Leave each year to provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need. This is a day-one employment right, meaning employees do not need a minimum length of service to qualify.

Flexible Working Requests

Employees also have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment. While employers are not required to agree to every request, they must consider requests reasonably and respond within the required timeframe.

What happens if I don't support my team?

This all depends. If you actively block carers’ leave or fail to consider the needs of those supporting a disabled family member its likely to cause you more than a headache. It poses a real legal and reputational risk, and the cost can be extremely high if you get it wrong. 

Need support talking to your employees and getting the right policies in place? We can help with that. Let’s have a chat