It's Carers Week!

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.

This year the theme is about equality for carers, given the inequalities faced by unpaid carers, including a greater risk of poverty, social isolation, poor mental and physical health. Often as carers people put others before themselves.

It’s something close to my heart as someone who has been a carer in the past, and continues to help one of my family members with dementia.

Here are some hints and tips for your organisation to help carers in the workplace:

1. Implement a Carers Policy, Toolkit or Principles

• Create clear and accessible information outlining support available.

• Communicate it far and wide, especially with those who might be on shift and not see the general daytime communications.

  
  

2. Offer Flexible Working Arrangements

• Of course this is very role dependant, but enable remote work, part-time roles, compressed hours, or adjusted start/end times.

  
  

3. Provide Paid or Unpaid Carer's Leave

• Go beyond statutory minimums where possible (e.g., 1 week unpaid per year under UK law).

• Consider offering paid carer’s leave to reduce financial pressure. Even taking a few hours off can really help someone in their time of need. When I last implemented this, it wasn't over-used but people fed back that just having it there was reassuring in case it was needed.

  
  

4. Train Managers to Be Carer-Aware

• Educate line managers to understand carer challenges and respond with empathy.

• Encourage open dialogue and reduce stigma around disclosing caring responsibilities.

  
  

5. Foster a Supportive Culture

• Promote awareness through internal comms and events (e.g., Carers Week 9th-15th June).

• Share real stories from employees who are carers so people can relate to them.

  
  

6. Create or Support Carer Networks

• Depending on your size, set up employee-led carer support groups. This might be in person or virtual

• Encourage peer support, advice sharing, and community.

  
  

7. Signpost External Resources

• Provide information on local authority support, Carers UK, Carer’s Allowance, etc.

• Ensure HR intranet or employee handbooks have relevant links and contacts.

  
  

8. Review Workloads and Expectations

• Conduct regular check-ins and offer task reprioritisation if needed.

  
  

9. Monitor and Evaluate Impact

• Use anonymous surveys to gauge carer satisfaction and identify gaps.

• Review take-up of carer benefits and adapt policies accordingly.

  
  

10. Join Carer-Friendly Initiatives

• Become a Carer Confident employer (Carers UK accreditation).

• Demonstrate commitment to being inclusive and socially responsible.

More info can be found here: UK | Carers UK