Well over two fifths of employers offer paid carer’s leave to staff, with more than a quarter of them reporting that they introduced it after the carer’s leave act came into force.
Since 6 April 2024, employees have had the right to take five days of unpaid leave to provide or arrange care for a disabled, older or ill relative or friend.
However, research from Employers for Carers (EfC), set up by charity Carers UK, found that many employers offer a greater level of support than the statutory minimum.
The EfC survey, with 160 employers, showed that 44 percent of workplaces offer between one and 10 days of paid leave to provide or arrange care.
More than a quarter (27 percent) of employers said they launched this policy following the legislation.
Carers UK said that there has been a clear shift in leave provision following the act, with 51 percent of survey respondents now having a dedicated carer’s leave policy in place compared to 23 percent before April 2024.
Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of employers reported an increase in people joining carer networks at work, which the charity said suggests the changes have led to increased awareness among workers. Often people do not recognise themselves as carers, but Carers UK data shows that as many as one in seven workers are caring for someone, while holding down a paid job.
The charity set up EfC, a membership forum for employers, in 2009 to champion and promote effective workplace support for staff with caring responsibilities. It represents 230 organisations and around 2.9 million employees.
Since the act came in, 51 percent of employers said they monitor how many employees are carers and 65 percent are capturing data on how much carer’s leave is being used.
Most employers (88 percent) said that while they have not faced challenges around the legislation, they are aware that as the five days statutory leave is unpaid some employees find it difficult to take.
More than three-quarters (76 percent) of employers had not specifically raised awareness or provided training for managers about new statutory requirements in spite of the fact that managers play a key role in providing support to employees.
More than two thirds (67 percent) of respondents said they were not monitoring the benefits carer’s leave can bring, which include increased staff retention and a reduced recruitment spend.
Carers leave the workforce
Carers UK research previously found that 40 percent of unpaid carers are giving up work to care, while 22 percent have cut their working hours due to the stress of juggling work and care.
Helen Walker, chief executive at Carers UK, said: “Juggling work with caring responsibilities isn’t easy and without the right support, this can take its toll. The implementation of the carer’s leave act was a vital step forward for millions of working carers, empowering them to ask for support in the workplace.
“It’s positive to see that the act has inspired employers to make tangible changes for carers. A growing number have gone above and beyond, enhancing their leave to paid leave. As a charity, Carers UK is looking to the future and encouraging the government to build on the act by introducing a statutory right to paid carer’s leave.
“We’re proud of the success of our EfC membership forum and our Carer Confident Scheme, providing practical, ‘hands-on’ help to employers to support the carers in their workforce, and are passionate about sharing this knowledge to ensure that valuable staff are retained and remain in the workforce.”
Last year, the Benefits Expert podcast, Benefits Unboxed, interviewed Madeleine Starr MBE, director of Carer Services at Carers UK, about how to spot the invisible carers in your workforce, the importance of supporting them, and what the benefit of this are for the business. Listen to the podcast here.
