How employers can help support Britain's ‘invisible army' of three million carers
EACH week, around three million people clock off from their jobs and start a second, unpaid, role as a carer.
This unsung and often invisible army of helpers keeps the nation functioning, providing vital support to elderly or disabled family members and friends.
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Estimates vary but between seven to nine per cent of the workforce also have caring responsibilities, with charity Employers For Carers saying that 59 per cent of these are women.
Not-for-profit organisation Carers UK estimates that two-thirds of us will become a carer at some point in our lives, with up to 600 people a day quitting work to do this.
However, juggling such responsibilities with work is a huge challenge.
Studies show that 44 per cent of carers in employment have developed mental or physical health conditions, while a quarter have reduced their working hours in order to cope.
It is Carers Week, with employers being urged to identify carers within their workforce and put support in place to retain them.
Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said: 'It takes two years on average for someone to identify themselves as a carer.
'As a result, they often don't come forward for support in the workplace and can miss out on vital help.
"This is why we encourage employers to raise awareness among managers and staff.'
This year's Carers Week theme is Caring About Equality, highlighting that those looking after family members or friends face a greater risk of poverty, social isolation and poor mental and physical health.
Helen added: 'One of the main drivers of poverty is the difficulty of combining paid work with unpaid care.
'We are urging more employers to go further in adopting more carer-friendly measures in the workplace and make a difference for those able to juggle work and care.'
One of the main ways employers can support staff is with flexible working.
Research from insurance agency the Phoenix Group found that two in five working carers would not have a job without flexible working.
Alongside this, an increasing number of firms are offering paid carer's leave.
While the Carer's Leave Act 2023 gives employees the right to five days of unpaid leave, Virgin Media O2 offers five paid days while the TSB gives 70 hours each year.
Rumana Akthair is an IT security apprentice for Virgin Media O2 and a carer.
She supports her dad who has mobility issues, a heart condition and diabetes, and also helps her mum, who is a carer herself and lives with arthritis.
Rumana, 35, from London, said: 'Co-ordinating medication, attending appointments and managing day-to-day care requires flexibility, often during working hours.
'However, my employer is incredibly supportive, and with the flexibility afforded, the impact on my work is limited.
'We need broader recognition that caring comes in many forms and can include supporting friends, neighbours and extended family.
'The level of understanding and support has made a real difference, not just to my professional growth, but to my overall wellbeing.'
Nisha Marwaha, a director at Virgin Media O2, said: 'Carers already have a lot on their plates and we want our people to be able to support friends and family without worrying about taking time off work or not getting paid.
'This support is vital to creating an environment where everyone can be their best at work and help their loved ones when they need them.'
Find out more at carersweek.org.
HOW TO BE A CARE CONFIDENT EMPLOYER
Encourage employees to identify themselves as carers. Include questions about caring in staff surveys or enable self-declaration through a self-service HR system or online form.
lAsk carers about their support needs, including what type of help they would like in the workplace.
lUse a clear definition of caring and carers – and include this in workplace policies to encourage take-up of support.
Introduce a carer policy in your company or organisation, outlining in one place all the support available.
Educate managers so they are equipped to identify and support carers in their team. Include caring in manager training and create a line-manager toolkit with guidance on what to do if an employee has caring responsibilities.
PATERNITY LEAVE IS A DAD JOKE
PATERNITY leave in the UK is the worst in Europe, according to campaign group The Dad Shift.
New fathers are entitled to a fortnight off at £187.18 a week, though many firms pay more.
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Mars UK was recently recognised as our most family-friendly firm, offering dads 26 weeks off at 90 per cent of normal pay.
Ahead of Father's Day, Mars revenue management director Mike Shepard, dad to Sterling, four, and Conrad, seven months, shares his advice for firms to get it right.
EVOLVE WITH THE PARENTING JOURNEY: From navigating school commitments to becoming a grandparent, the parenting journey spans decades, so flexibility isn't a one-time fix, it's a continuous dialogue.
It's one thing having an enhanced parental leave policy, but leaders' active encouragement is key to removing any stigma.
CHAMPION MEANINGFUL LEAVE: Business leaders can lead where policy lags by introducing enhanced time off and normalising fathers to take it.
REDEFINE THE RETURN-TO-WORK EXPERIENCE: Coming back from parental leave isn't about 'slotting back in'. It's an emotional, mental and logistical adjustment.
Start conversations early about flexibility, priorities and working style, leading with what will best suit a family's new reality.
MAXIMISE PERFORMANCE AND WELLBEING: It's hard to support what you don't know, so encourage open dialogue.
Vital to the success of my own team's productivity is them feeling safe voicing what works for them, whether it's flexible hours, hybrid working or changes in responsibility.
USE PEER GROUPS TO DRIVE CHANGE: Internal parenting networks are powerful tools.
Foster these groups to build a community and spark ideas that can drive meaningful change from within.
LOVE ISLE IS A TITLE MYSTERY
LOVE ISLAND, hosted by Maya Jama, is back on our screens and it is not just the hot bods grabbing our attention – but also their day jobs, and what they mean.
Online searches for 'marketing engineer', 'payroll specialist' and 'energy broker' jumped more than 5,000 per cent last week, according to data from jobs forum RateMyApprenticeship.
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Co-founder Oliver Sidwell says: 'Seeing someone on screen talk about a job you've never heard of sparks curiosity, and that's what we're seeing now.
'Roles like marketing engineer or energy broker are not on the radar for most school leavers, but should be.
"These are well-paid, in-demand jobs and don't always require a university route.'
IT'S BEST TO ASK … AND FAST
JOB applicants should try to ask questions early in an interview to steer it in a direction that plays to their strengths.
That is the advice from Dr George Sik, of psychometric testing firm Eras, as the number of job vacancies in the UK plunged to its lowest level in four years with just 781,000 up for grabs.
As competition for positions intensifies, Dr Sik suggests good questions to put to your potential employer, which include, 'What are the most important goals for this role in the next six to 12 months?', 'What challenges or changes is the team currently navigating?' and, 'What makes someone exceptional in this role, as opposed to just good?'
He adds: 'These questions show initiative and let you reframe the interview.'
But leave it too long into the chat, and Dr Sik warns: 'By that point, it's too late to influence the direction of the conversation.'
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