How businesses can support carers at work

How businesses can support carers at work

Having supportive and flexible working can make a difference to carers.

Support can take many forms at work, like:

• a way for carers to identify themselves
• practical support, like having somewhere to make a private phone call from, or support through Employee Assistance Programmes
• peer support, through a workplace carers’ group, local carer centre or online forum

Workplace policies can outline the support you can get like:

• statutory time off for dependents or emergencies
• more specific (paid or unpaid) leave for carers (carer’s leave)
• other work/life balance policies

Flexible working could help you manage work and caring responsibilities. It can take different forms, including:

• job sharing
• working from home
• working part time
• working shorter days
• working compressed hours (full-time hours but over fewer days)
• flexitime
• phased retirement

The Open University offers a course called Caring Counts in the Workplace: created for managers and policy makers to help support carers in the workforce.

Business benefits

The benefits to employers of having carer-friendly policies and working practices can include:

• reduced levels of stress and sickness absence
• lower recruitment and training costs
• increased staff retention, morale, and productivity levels

Your business could become ’employer of choice’ for people who value a better work-life balance.

How to become a Carer Positive business

If you own or run a business and employ people who are carers, you can apply to become Carer Positive.

Carer Positive aims to raise awareness of working carers. It also highlights the benefits of supporting and retaining valuable members of staff.

The Carer Positive process is a self-assessment process.

There is no fee for participating.

Employers submit an application form describing how they meet criteria in 5 key areas. Where possible, this should be accompanied by evidence of their policies and activities.

There are 3 levels:

• engaged
• established
• exemplary

If they wish, employers can progress from one stage to the next, building from an initial level of commitment to creating a culture of support for carers within the organisation.

Further information

Working Families helps working parents and carers achieve a good work-life balance.

Read more on flexible working from Carers Scotland, Acas or the UK Government