• 3 in 5 working carers’ (60%) in the UK had to take annual leave to carry out caring duties in the last year, taking on average 6 days from their annual leave allowance
• 2.5 million employed carers’ say their employer does not support carers’ needs for additional leave
• 3 in 10 UK workers (30%) may have to give up their existing job due to unsupportive employers
• 7 in 10 people (71%) support a statutory carers’ leave
• Phoenix CEO and Government's Business Champion for Older Workers, Andy Briggs, calls for current Government proposals for a statutory right to 5 days unpaid Carers’ Leave to have accelerated implementation, and for employers that can, to offer these days as paid

In the last year, 4.4 million employedⁱⁱⁱ carers’ took annual leave specifically to care for someone else, taking on average 6 days out of their annual leave allowance, research from Phoenix Group today reveals.

While the Government is currently consulting on the introduction of working carers’ statutory rights which notably includes five days unpaid leave, Phoenix Group, a leading savings and retirement business, is calling for the new legislation to be brought forward and for employers who can, to offer the five days leave as paid without delay.

Andy Briggs, Chief Executive Phoenix Group and Government Business Champion for Older Workers, explains; “Employed carers’ should not have to decide between continuing to work and caring for loved ones. Just like working parents, working carers’ face ongoing challenges as a result of their commitments and need specific support. As we recognise the important role of all carers’ this national Carers Week and the additional pressure many face due to the pandemic, we call on the Government to accelerate legislation on statutory leave for those carers’ who want to continue to work, while caring for someone who depends on them.”

Worryingly, when asked, three in ten UK workers (30%) believe they might be forced to give up their existing job due to an unsupportive and inflexible employer if they needed to help care for a dependent or relative, which is heightened among working carers’ with almost two thirds (63%) agreeing.

As today marks the start of Carers Week, an entire week dedicated to raising awareness of caring, it is poignant that only one in five (19%) UK workers say their employer currently supports carers’ needs for additional annual leave.

Just over half the UK workforce (52%) admit they would really struggle to afford to give up work and care for a loved one, but without greater flexibility and support in the workplace, it’s clear that many feel they may be forced down this route, giving up their financial security in order to care for a loved one. Just over a quarter (27%) would need to go part-time or reduce their hours.

The research also shows that people in the UK are advocates for employed carers’ rights, with the majority (76%) stating that businesses should support those who have carer responsibilities. Seven in ten people (71%) approve of statutory carers’ leave, which would be unpaid in line with statutory parental leave, while over two in five of us (43%) support statutory paid carers’ leave.

COVID has shone a spotlight on the importance of carers’, yet over half of UK workers (57%) believe that their company is no more or less likely to support employees who need to manage caring responsibilities in the future. A recent report from Carers UKiv shows that almost a fifth (17%) of working carers’ reported either having lost or given up their job or being unable to work because of the social distancing rules.

Carers UK estimates that paid carers’ leave of at least five days a year could save the UK economy around £3.5bn a year.

Briggs, who is calling for all businesses that can to offer at least five days paid carers’ leave, comments;

“Rights for employed carers’ have long needed to be formalised. COVID has served to heighten awareness of the support required as many are struggling to balance work commitments with caring responsibilities. We know from our research that time is sacred to carers’, with 59% saying they consider more flexible working hours a fair employee benefit. The proposed statutory changes will provide a healthier work-life balance for unpaid carers’ and employers will be able to retain valuable members of their workforce.

“We are calling on all employers that are able, to offer a minimum of five days paid carers’ leave, to relieve some of the pressures employed carers’ face, enable them to continue in current employment and ensure annual leave remains sacrosanct.”

Anne Willmot, Age at Work Director at Business in the Community, adds:

e formalised. COVID has served to heighten awareness of the support required as many are struggling to balance work commitments with caring responsibilities. We know from our research that time is sacred to carers’, with 59% saying they consider more flexible working hours a fair employee benefit. The proposed statutory changes will provide a healthier work-life balance for unpaid carers’ and employers will be able to retain valuable members of their workforce. “We are calling on all employers that are able, to offer a minimum of five days paid carers’ leave, to relieve some of the pressures employed carers’ face, enable them to continue in current employment and ensure annual leave remains sacrosanct.” Anne Willmot, Age at Work Director at Business in the Community, adds: “

Madeleine Starr MBE, Director of Business Development and Innovation at Carers UK, said:

“This pandemic has shone a light on the huge number of people trying to juggle their work with caring responsibilities - for some, a new caring role they have taken on since the start of the pandemic.

“As carers begin returning to work, it has never been so important that Government and UK employers recognise the challenges they face juggling work and care. For some it becomes too much - every day, 600 people give up work to care. Many more reduce their working hours or turn down a promotion because of their caring role, which has a significant impact on their finances and wellbeing.

“It is crucial that employees with caring responsibilities get dedicated support and we have long campaigned to get them a right to at least 5 days of care leave, ideally paid. This would support the economy: helping to keep more people in work, and ensure carers’ health and wellbeing is also looked after.”

Carers Week runs from 8th – 14th June 2020.

-Ends-

Twitter: Find Phoenix Group @PhoenixGroupUK, Business in the Community @BITC and Carers UK @CarersUK

Enquiries

Leonie Garfield
Lansons
07530 626 212
leonieg@lansons.com

Rachel Esland
Phoenix Group
07892 705093
Rachel_esland@standardlife.com

Research carried out by Opinium between 15th – 18th May 2020.

Andy Briggs is CEO of Phoenix Group and the Government’s Business Champion for Older Workers. He is also the Government Champion for the Ageing Society Grand Challenge, part of the modern Industrial Strategy. In these roles he represents business views to Government on ageing issues, building greater understanding of the barriers in order to overcome the challenges and promote the opportunities, with the ultimate aim of creating an economy that works for everyone, regardless of age.

The Government consultation on how to put Carer’s leave into practice can be viewed here.

• The proposed legislation in summary:
• A new entitlement to a week’s unpaid leave for carers, designed to support employees to balance work and care.
• At employers’ discretion to enhance the entitlement in length or offer pay.
• A person could take Carer’s Leave to care for: a spouse or civil partner; a child; a parent; a person who lives in the same household as the employee (other than as an employee, tenant, lodger or boarder); someone else who reasonably relies on the employee for care.
• Carer’s Leave is restricted to those caring for individuals with physical or mental health problems, disability or issues related to old age and where the care need is likely to last for a longer period of time such as six months or a year.
• Reasons for taking Carer’s Leave to include providing personal and private support, personal/medical care, helping with official or financial matters and making arrangements.
• Employees to in the first instance self-certify their eligibility for Carer’s Leave.
• An employee who takes time off for Carer’s Leave would have similar employment protections as those which apply to other kinds of leave.
• The consultation seeks to decide:
  • Which relationships should Carer’s Leave cover?
  • Which conditions on care are appropriate for Carer’s Leave?
  • What counts as a qualifying period to entitle Carer’s Leave?
  • What reasons count to take Carer’s Leave and whether childcare should be out of scope for Carer’s Leave?
  • Whether evidence is needed for employees to take Carer’s Leave?
  • Should the leave be taken as a block or individual days?
  • Is it appropriate to require employees to give notice and if so, what a reasonable notice period might look like?
  • What are the costs and benefits to employers of Carer’s Leave?

ⁱ In a nationally representative survey of 2004 UK adults, 169 said they are employed carers who have used holiday to care for someone else in the past year. 169 / 2004 * 52,673,000 (UK adult population) = 4,441,985 or 4.4 million.
ⁱⁱ In a nationally representative survey of 2004 UK adults, 94 said they are employed carers whose current employer does not offer additional allowances of annual leave for carers. 94/ 2004 * 52,673,000 (UK adult population) = 2,470,690 or 2.5 million.
ⁱⁱⁱ An employed carer is anyone who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is voluntary alongside working a paid job.
^iv Caring behind closed doors; Forgotten families in the coronavirus outbreak - April 2020
^v Explore the challenges of juggling work and unpaid care
^vi BITC Equal Lives report 2018