Eighty per cent of unpaid carers consider giving up their jobs as partnership calls for more employer support

Eighty per cent of unpaid carers with a health condition have considered giving up their jobs amid a lack of support from their employers, a new study has found.

The figures have been revealed in a partnership between national charity Carers Trust, healthcare company Simplyhealth and responsible business network Business in the Community. Researchers spoke to carers, employers and the public to uncover the employment challenges facing carers with a health condition and the help companies can provide to improve support.

There are around six million unpaid carers in the UK, looking after friends or family with a disability, illness or addiction. The 2021 England and Wales census found almost half of carers reported at least one adverse health effect from providing care. This rose to three-quarters for those providing 20 to 49 hours of care per week.

The research project’s survey of carers with health conditions found four-fifths had considered quitting their job completely because of the difficulty balancing caring, their own health, and work. Nearly nine in 10 (88%) had considered reducing their hours while just under two-thirds (64%) had thought about switching companies to one that was more flexible.

Common reasons cited were that jobs were too target driven, didn’t offer flexible working or had an unsupportive and unaccepting company culture.

One woman who cares for her mum and aunt while living with anxiety, autism and ME herself said she was already thinking about quitting her job just three months into the role. This was because of a lack of support and understanding about her caring responsibilities. She said:

“When I’m in the workplace, that’s all it is - work  - and nothing else is allowed to be mentioned or nothing else is allowed to happen. Because I don’t think they care. I was on my mum’s bed in her arms crying my eyes out because of things that had been said and trying to do it all. It’s a really toxic place. And they don’t provide the right support that they say they do.”

Some carers with health needs also said they were concerned about disclosing too much information about their circumstance when applying or interviewing for a role through fear of being rejected for the job.

Access to external counselling or mental health support through an employee assistance programme was highlighted by 86% of carers as important to help them balance caring, health and work.

The survey also showed 60% of carers said they weren’t supported by their employer’s HR department to implement measures that helped them balance their job, health and caring role.

Even where supportive policies were in place, like paid carers leave, some carers said they feared being judged or facing repercussions for taking it, while others said having to clear it with managers in advance caused challenges.

To help with this, the partnership has released a guide for employers to help them recognise the challenges faced by employees and how to better support them to stay in, and excel at, their job. With the average recruitment cost of filling a vacancy totalling £6,125 and hitting £19,000 for a manager role, there’s a huge economic incentive to help carers remain in the workplace.

The project’s employer guide suggests employers consider four key elements of support for unpaid carers:

• Identification of and conversations with unpaid carers in their workplace
• Access to the right information on how they can gain support
• Autonomy over how, when and where they do their work
• Acceptance of their role as a carer and celebration of the unique skillset they can bring to the workplace because of this

Kirsty McHugh, Carers Trust’s CEO, said:

“Carers have a huge amount to offer employers but sadly we know that many have to reduce their hours or even give up work completely to find a balance. This is a double whammy – depriving organisations of talented staff and blocking career paths for those with caring responsibilities. But it doesn’t have to be this way and there are lots of ways companies can help. For example, giving carers more flexibility over where and when they work can make a huge difference. By recognising their employees may have a caring role, employers can also go a long way towards supporting carers to excel at work.”

Claudia Nicholls, Simplyhealth’s Chief Customer Officer, said:

“Carers need to have their own health needs met if they are to function at their best, both in their caring roles and at work. With the number of unpaid carers expected to increase, and long-term sickness at record levels, we’re on a mission to support people to stay in the workforce rather than drop out, which isn’t good for their own wellbeing or the economy. We’re delighted to be helping employers better understand and support the needs of their staff with caring responsibilities with this new toolkit, as well as our health plans for businesses. 86% of carers said they would value mental health support via a workplace employee assistance programme, and workplace health plans are a cost-effective way of businesses providing inclusive access for all.”

Sue Husband, Community Impact Director at Business in the Community, said:

“At BITC, our mission is to transform lives and help communities thrive, which is why we’re working in partnership with Simplyhealth and Carers Trust to help businesses better understand how they can support the health and wellbeing of those balancing work and caring responsibilities. Through our Let’s Care Together programme, in partnership with Simplyhealth and supported by Carers Trust, we are aiming to directly support the health and wellbeing of more than 500 carers across the UK.

“Five million people in England and Wales provide some form of unpaid care, and it’s essential that they are given the flexibility and autonomy to work how, when, and where they want. It’s vital that employers recognise the strain that balancing care, health, and work can have on unpaid carers and ensure that they are offering the support and flexibility needed to more easily balance work and caring responsibilities so that they can stay in work.”