Swindon & Wiltshire News
Swindon Carers Centre welcomes new rights for unpaid carers who juggle caring with paid employment
New legislation which will come into force in April giving employees who are unpaid carers statutory entitlement to five days unpaid leave a year has been welcomed by Swindon Carers Centre.
One in seven employees in the UK have caring responsibilities, meaning they are juggling their paid job with looking after a family member or friend.
The new rights for unpaid carers are in the Carer’s Leave Act and are welcomed by charities supporting unpaid carers, including Swindon Carers Centre.
“The Carer’s Leave Act will give much-needed help for unpaid carers who also have paid employment. It means they are entitled to take up to five days of unpaid leave a year from their paid job in support of their caring responsibilities,” said Claire Smith, head of development at Swindon Carers Centre.
“We want to make employers in Swindon and unpaid carers aware of the new law. It could potentially help many carers stay in employment benefiting themselves, but also their employer through improved retention, wellbeing and a reduction in hiring costs.”
Kerri Callow, is a registered parent carer with Swindon Carers Centre, who also has a paid job. She works full-time for Royal Mail and is a carer to her 10-year-old son, Ethan, who is autistic. She is married and also has two daughters.
Kerri, of Liden, Swindon, said: “I’m very lucky because my employer is very supportive. If I need to adjust my hours because I need to look after my son or attend an appointment with him, my boss is very flexible and allows me to do this provided I get my hours done.
“I couldn’t afford to take unpaid leave with three children to look after, but I think the new entitlement could benefit other carers.”
The Carer’s Leave Act comes into effect on April 6. The five days of unpaid leave will be able to be taken in half or full days, up to and including taking a block of a whole week of leave at once.
Employees taking Carer’s Leave will have the same employment protections as associated with other forms of family-related leave including maternity, paternity, adoption, parental bereavement, shared parental leave, and parental leave.
This includes protection from dismissal or detriment as a result of having taken the leave.
Carers UK is producing a standalone, paid-for set of resources to support employers with the implementation of the Carer’s Leave Act.
They can be found at www.carersuk.org/for-professionals/support-for-employers/carers-leave-act-support-package/
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
