Only a third of employers are supporting working carers

Just a third of employers (34%) have a formal, written policy or an informal, verbal policy in place to support working carers in their workplace, it has emerged.

The findings come from new research by CIPD/Westfield Health, released to coincide with this year’s Carers Week (6–12 June), which also revealed that almost two-fifths (38%) of employers do not have any policies in place to support working carers, or have plans to develop one. The report also finds that just 13% of organisations offer line manager training to support working carers.

With estimates suggesting that 3 in 5 people will end up caring for someone at some point in their lives, employers are being urged to put mechanisms in place to empower and support working carers, before they lose out on key talent.

The problem appears to be prevalent in the private sector, where just 11% of organisations offer line manager training, 18% have a formal, written policy aimed at supporting working carers, and only one in five (20%) know how many working carers they employ.

The survey also revealed the top five given reasons given why organisations offer support to carers at work: it’s the right thing to do as a good employer (65%); it improves work-life balance (60%); it improves employee morale/engagement (58%); it improves retention (53%); and reduces absenteeism (50%).

When working carers were asked which approach they would prefer if their organisation took steps to support them at work, 62% voted for minimal involvement in their personal lives, in which employees with caring responsibilities are given the opportunity to respond as they need. Just 18% said they’d prefer a hand-holding response where their organisation was highly engaged in working carers, while 11% voted for neither and 10% said they didn’t know.

Commenting on the findings, Claire McCartney, Research Adviser – Resourcing and Talent Planning at the CIPD, said: “Caring is such a broad term, and there are often blurry lines between those who view themselves as carers and those who see themselves as simply doing their duty. Some might not declare themselves as carers at work because they are worried about being treated differently, or they might be concerned that reducing their hours or asking for flexible working could impact negatively on their career progression. As long as the caring agenda remains a hidden issue in the workplace, without clear policies or obvious channels for support, can you blame them?

“The onus is on employers to create and promote policies and initiatives in the workplace that empower working carers, sending employees a clear message that their organisation will support them. Measurement is key to supporting working carers – without it, employers cannot know how many working carers they have and what the most appropriate policies, tools and support might be.”