REWARD
“Carers UK wants to see new legislation that builds on the Act and ensures all employees with caring responsibilities can take paid leave”
representing them, carer-friendly employers, unions and Think Tanks across the political spectrum. Our evidence shows: l 80% of carers say additional paid carer’s leave of between five and ten days would better help them to juggle work and unpaid care l 50% of carers would find it easier to return to work after a period of absence if they had access to paid carer’s leave. With research also revealing that around 600 people a day give up work to care, it’s important to recognise how support like paid leave can make a difference. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that, when asked what would be most useful to them, paid leave for carers was by far the most popular option, followed by flexitime and the ability to work at home on some days 4 . Staying in work has many benefits for carers, including improving incomes in the short term and supporting family finances longer-term. It’s also worth noting that, after giving up work to care, re- entering employment can be very difficult, particularly in later life. Our evidence shows that almost half (40%) of carers who have given up work or retired early to care said paid carer’s leave would have helped them to stay in employment for longer. EfC evidence also suggests that having a paid leave policy leads to other forms of flexibility (e.g., adjustments to working hours or enabling working from home or elsewhere). Carers UK research 5 found that the top three interventions carers thought would be most helpful were: l five to ten days of paid carer’s leave l a supportive line manager l flexible working. Carers UK is therefore calling for a new statutory right to paid carer’s leave, building on the five days of unpaid leave introduced by the Carer’s Leave Act. Benefits for employers Carers UK’s research with EfC members has found that employers lose out when carers struggle to manage work and caring,
incurring substantial costs in employee absence and workplace stress as a result. When valued employees give up work to care, businesses bear the costs of recruitment and lost productivity, losing talented staff who they may have invested considerable time and money in. However, our evidence from employers shows there are ways to limit the impacts and some of the pressures of juggling work and care. Centrica, a founder member of EfC, has introduced carer-friendly policies, including the right to paid carer’s leave, which it says has saved the company around £1.8 million per annum in terms of preventing unplanned absences and presenteeism. It’s saved a further cumulative £1.3 million in retention savings. Some specific benefits employers have reported from introducing support for carers, including paid leave, also include: l increased productivity l lower recruitment costs l higher staff retention, including of skilled employees, with many being aged 45-60 and at the height of their careers l reduced absenteeism l increased worker loyalty and satisfaction l improved employee wellbeing l a positive contribution to diversity and inclusion l being an employer of choice. A growing number of organisations who are accredited under our Carer Confident 6 benchmarking scheme report that this is helping them to attract new talent and retain existing skills. Links corner 1. Carers UK launches ‘Taking the next step for working carers’: https:// ow.ly/Wtu450Vwqap 2. Unpaid carer’s leave: https:// ow.ly/3yQj50VwreB 3. Employers for Carers: https:// ow.ly/S7ws50VwsiN 4. Supporting working carers: https://ow.ly/lYyT50VwsTg 5. ‘Juggling work and unpaid care’: https://ow.ly/ZJPL50VwsPq 6. Carer Confident: https://ow.ly/ fvvX50Vwt0R.
from the first day of employment and can make two requests over a 12-month period. Requests should be made in writing with details of the revised working pattern being sought. Employers must agree to a request unless there’s a genuine business reason not to and must provide the employee with the reasons behind making that decision. Protection from discrimination by being associated with a disabled person In England, Wales and Scotland, people who are looking after someone who’s older or disabled are protected under the Equality Act 2010 against direct discrimination or harassment, including within the workplace, because of their caring responsibilities. This is framed in law as discrimination by association with a disabled or older person. Better support for carers – why is paid carer’s leave important for employees? Carers UK welcomed the Carer’s Leave Act as a positive, landmark step to benefit over two million employees currently juggling work and care. Although it only came into force last year, it’s already putting carers on the map. Some forward-thinking employers, including members of our Employers for Carers 3 (EfC) forum, have taken the opportunity to go above and beyond by introducing paid carer’s leave. Carers UK’s 2024 research report highlights provision of paid leave across a range of sectors. However, evidence suggests that only 9% of working carers currently have access to paid leave. And unpaid leave has always been more problematic for some workers to benefit from. Those on low pay often can’t afford to use this. And women, who provide the bulk of unpaid care, are also more likely to be disadvantaged here. That’s why Carers UK wants to see new legislation that builds on the Act and ensures all employees with caring responsibilities can take paid leave. This is widely backed by carers, the organisations
PROFESSI NAL in Payroll, Pensions and Reward
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June 2025 | Issue 111
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