Support with your employment

If you are in work and also have a role in caring for someone, you are not alone. One in seven people in work will be caring for someone who is older, disabled or seriously ill. The right support can help you balance your caring role and your work.

Getting support at work

Carers UK have advice on information on being a carer while working.

All carers have some rights and entitlements by law, but you may also find your contract with your employer or other provision they have in place give you additional rights or opportunities for support. So, it’s worth looking into your terms of employment or the policies your employer has, to see if they offer any benefits to you. You could also ask your employer if they offer any specific support for carers (see more below).

Information on the Carers UK site includes:

• Telling your employer about your caring role
• Telling other staff about your caring role
• Assessments from your local council or trust
• Arranging care and support privately
• What to do if you need extra support for your own needs.

Encouraging your employer to identify and support carers

It is in employers’ interests to play their part in identifying and supporting staff who are carers. Losing staff due to the demands of their caring role has an impact on employers, and your employer may want help and advice on how best to carry out their statutory responsibilities.

You can let them know about advice and support which is available.

‘Employers for carers’ has the purpose of ensuring employers have the support to retain and empower employees with caring responsibilities. What they do is:

• Provide practical advice and support for employers seeking to develop carer friendly policy and practice and retain skilled workers.
• Identify and promote the business benefits of supporting carers in the workplace.
• Influence government and employment policy to create a culture which supports working carers.

You can click here to find out more about employers for carers.

Caring Together provide support for employers in identifying and supporting carers, and offer the Carer Friendly Tick Award for employers. They can provide free support to help employers through the Carer Friendly Tick Award process, from awareness-raising sessions, to useful resources, to examples of what similar organisations have done. They also have toolkits available for employers which can help them with an application for the Carer Friendly Tick Award.

Visit the Caring Together website to find out more by clicking here.