Carers and Employment
Over three million people in the UK combine work with caring responsibilities. Legislation from 2004 recognised the need for greater support to help these carers. Local Authorities should now take into account a carer's wish to work or undertake training when doing a carers' assessment. Taking on caring should not mean that you must automatically think you have to give up work.
New right to request flexible working
The Employment Act (2002) gave the right to request flexible working to working parents of children under the age of six (or 18 if the child has special needs).
From 6 April 2007 the government extended this right, so that it now also applies to employees who care for an adult. Find out more about the right to request flexible working for carers of adults.
Many employers already have flexible working policies as they recognise that this helps employees achieve a better work/life balance.
Further information on flexible/part-time working
To find out more about your legal rights around flexible working (e.g. childcare issues and other work-life balance considerations), visit the Directgov flexible employment for carers' page.
The Employers for Carers site also looks at flexible working, and wider issues facing carers who want to work.
Part-time workers have the same rights as their full time counterparts; the Directgov site addresses these rights and what they mean for you.
