Support in the Workplace - Carers

Caring is an issue that affects us all - three in five of us will become carers at some stage in our lives. Caring can be unpredictable - it can happen over night, and often cannot be planned. As a working carer you are likely to need a range of support in the workplace, and often different levels of support at different times.

An understanding and knowledgeable employer or manager can make all the difference to whether or not you feel able to seek support. Find out about the policies your employer has that can support carers and be informed when you approach your manager.

Sometimes the support you need might be very simple, like access to a telephone.

A good example is a carer who was able to check on her elderly mother each lunchtime because her employer gave her a car parking space close to her office building.

Support options your employer may be able to offer include:

• flexible working
• leave arrangements
• a right to time off for emergencies
• access to information and advice
• parental leave

You could find out if your employer offers flexible working patterns to help you work and care, for example:

• flexible starting and finishing times
• compressed working hours
• annualised working hours
• job sharing or part-time working
• homeworking and teleworking
• term-time working

Put this in writing to your employer. They may suggest an alternative arrangement - this should end up as a dialogue so you can work out something that suits both of you.

Should you tell your employer?

You might feel that depends on whether your employer has a policy to support carers. Find out by asking your personnel officer welfare officer or occupational health advisor union or staff association representative colleagues. There may be existing support that you are not aware of, or you may find that your employer is open to exploring new ways to support carers.

Should you tell other employees?

Colleagues can be very supportive, and it may help simply to discuss your situation with someone you can trust at work. You may find that other colleagues are also carers, and that together you are more able to talk to your employer about ways in which you could be supported. You might ask your employer to set up a focus group, to find out how, together, you can find better ways of juggling your job and caring.

How do you rate this information/service?