How to support carers in the workplace

According to national charity Carers Trust, there are around seven million carers in the UK – that is one in ten people and rising. It is also estimated that there are 700,000 Young Carers in the UK, and 1 in 7 of all UK employees are believed to have a care role. 

But what is a 'carer'?

During the pandemic, you have probably heard the term 'carer' used quite a lot.

The term carer is often in relation to professionals working in Care Homes or visiting people to provide them with help for example with washing, cooking, personal care etc.

The number of carers referenced above though is not for professionals but for someone who provides unpaid help to another person, who would not be able to manage without that help.

The person being helped might be a relative or a friend, so we often refer to these people as unpaid family/friend carers. The amount of care that they provide can vary enormously as every situation is unique and a person does not need to be receiving carers allowance to be considered as a carer.

What about unpaid carers who are employed?

1 in 7 of all UK employees are believed to have a care role and we know this figure has increased due to the pandemic.

For an employer this is significant because not only might a carer need to respond to emergencies, but many of them also feel isolation from colleagues, fear of disclosing their situation in case it harms promotion prospects, financial worry and low morale because they feel guilt for being at work, or they feel they should give up work to care.

1 in 5 working carers have given up work in the last two years. This is a significant reduction in the available workforce and a huge loss of experience to industry.

So what can I do as an employer?

First, you need to be aware of employees who might have a care role. For an employer, a key part of being carer aware is thinking how you would go about approaching a conversation with a member of staff you think might have a care role?

Having policies that demonstrate to staff that you have given thought to carers in your employ is also great for improving morale and crucially retaining staff who may be considering leaving due to their care role.

You could also help key personnel to set up a carers peer network within your company. We have helped employers to do this, and some of the most successful companies in the UK have taken an active lead in these types of support mechanisms. You might expand this by having key staff trained as Carer Champions by The Carers Centre.

Of course, all of this needs careful, considered communication to staff but the beauty is that by showing that you are a carer friendly employer, you will reap enormous benefits: greater retention which means less recruiting with all the costs that incurs, a happier, supported workforce and even improved teamwork as members understand and support each other to be more flexible.

You can arrange a free awareness session run by The Carers Centre for management and key staff. These sessions help to raise awareness not only for you as the employer, but also for staff who may be struggling to manage care and work but not know where to turn.

What support strategies can I put in place to help carers in my workplace?

Make sure that you have an understanding of carers rights and that your HR policies support and enable these. Carers policy might include flexible working arrangements, paid or unpaid leave, the opportunity to work from home, recognition that an employee’s care role cannot be a factor in deciding career and promotion prospects.

Frequent communication of policies to staff and inclusion in recruitment, induction/onboarding and management development helps to create a positive atmosphere for carers.

Two key resources are also available which remove a lot of the research that HR departments must do when approached by a staff member wanting to know how their care role affects their employment. Available to all carers in Brighton and Hove is *Carers UK’s Digital Resource for Carers, which is free to all.

The second, which is for employers, is *Carers UK’s Employers for Carers resource. This is free to any employer in the city with less than 250 employees and provides specific information for employers to help them provide a carer friendly environment. This includes policy ideas, templates for documents, strategy guides and managers handbooks among other things.

*The Carers Centre can provide further information on both these resources and the sign-up process including access codes.

Steve Castellari is Engagement and Working Carers Lead at The Carers Centre Brighton & Hove - a local, life-changing carers charity, providing support, advice, activities and signposting to unpaid carers and employers for over 30 years. 

We have a team of professionals and volunteers supporting Young Carers and Adult Carers by supporting their caring role and the impact of caring on their social, emotional and educational development.

If you are an unpaid carer, or an employer of an unpaid carer, get in touch with The Carers Centre by email, or phone: 01273 977 000, or visit our website for more information.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk