Carers and employment
Flexible working
The Work and Families Act 2006 gives carers of adults the right to request flexible working, building on the existing rights which were introduced in April 2003 for parents of a disabled child under 18. Carers in employment now have more statutory rights to help them manage their work and caring responsibilities. For more inforamtion about requesting flexible working please download VOCAL's Carers and Employment factsheet.
The right to time off in emergencies
Also known as time off for dependants, this gives all employees the right to take a ‘reasonable’ amount of time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant. Whether the time off is paid or not is at the discretion of the employer. For more information see VOCAL's Carers and Employment factsheet.
Equalities Act 2010
This new act began on 1 Ocotber 2010 and brings new legislation to protect carers from direct discrimination or harassment because of their caring responsibilities. The Government Equalities Office (GEO) has produced a series of guides including 'Equality Act 2010: What do I need to know as a carer?'. For more information visit http://www.equalities.gov.uk/equality_act_2010/equality_act_2010_what_do_i_n.aspx
Seeking support in the workplace
Employers value skilled, experienced and committed members of staff and are keen to keep them. Your employer may be able to help in ways you have not considered. Talk to them about your situation, directly or through your HR/personnel officer or union or staff association representative.
Before you decide to speak to your employer, you should find out more about your employer’s policy for supporting carers. If you decide to leave work, make sure you check all your options before you resign, for example can you take a career break, voluntary redundancy or early retirement? For more information see VOCAL's Carers and Employment factsheet.
