Unpaid caring is on the rise. According to recent data, a staggering 10 million people in the UK are now unpaid carers. That’s up from 9 million in 2021. This means one in five employees could be providing unpaid care to a relative or friend. Many do so quietly, often juggling demanding roles and personal responsibilities. While not all will be holding down paid employment, many will be.
As an HR professional or leader, acknowledging this growing reality is vital. When employees feel supported in balancing their work and caring duties, you protect not only their wellbeing but also engagement, loyalty, and retention. The key to making this work is often open, clear, and compassionate communication. This is particularly important around times and issues where an employees caring responsibilities and workplace duties conflict.
· Normalise the Conversation
Caring responsibilities are often invisible. Employees may worry that disclosing them could affect how they’re perceived. That’s true whether it’s a Mum returning from maternity leave whose child is unwell, or an adult child of an ageing parent. That’s why the first step is to make caring part of your everyday conversations about inclusion and wellbeing.
You could, for example, mention carers leave and flexible working in onboarding materials or all-staff updates. Sharing stories, with permission, from employees who’ve used carers leave can help normalise the topic and reassure others they won’t face judgement or career setbacks. If this doesn’t feel possible, then fictional case studies of how carers leave could be used might be beneficial.
· Be Clear About Rights and Support
Caring responsibilities often bring difficulties for employers as they rarely demand the most attention at predictable times. It’s not usually possible, for example, to plan a relative’s move from hospital care into a care home at a time of choice.
This is made more complex because confusion is common when it comes to carers leave. Many employees don’t know their entitlements, especially under newer legislation like the Carer’s Leave Act. Clear, jargon-free information helps employees plan and engage honestly.
Consider publishing a short internal guide outlining eligibility, the request process, and how it fits with other forms of leave such as dependency leave or flexible working. Communicate this through multiple channels that people actually use.
Yes, it’s in part about compliance, but it’s also about building a culture of trust and transparency.
· Equip Line Managers
Even the best policies fall flat if line managers don’t feel confident implementing them, or if they come across as resentful of someone’s need for carer’s leave. Research shows that support from line managers is a major factor in whether carers feel able to stay in work.
Training managers to spot signs of carer stress, respond empathetically, and know where to signpost people makes a big difference. Encourage managers to focus on outcomes rather than presenteeism because recognising that flexibility is often key to performance.
· Link to Wider Wellbeing Strategy
Supporting carers shouldn’t sit in isolation. Integrate carers leave into your broader wellbeing and inclusion strategy. Doing so helps position it as part of your long-term talent agenda and not just a tick box exercise.
By creating a culture where employees can be open about their responsibilities outside work, you enhance trust, engagement, and organisational resilience.
With challenges like long NHS waiting lists, the reality is that many of your workers will have caring responsibilities at one time or another. Helping them manage these without jeopardising their work is good business sense.
We know that how you communicate to employees about things like carer’s leave is a vital part of building your employer brand. Get in touch on 020 7870 7177.