A report published yesterday (16 July) by healthcare company Bupa showed that 68% of employees want more support from their employer for managing their caring responsibilities and their own health and wellbeing.
Employers should not ignore the impact of caring on employees’ performance at work, commented Christine Husbands, commercial director at caring support provider RedArc.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “Caring responsibilities can affect people of all ages, male and female, and often at short notice. Carers often feel isolated, overwhelmed, resentful, guilty, and exhausted physically and mentally.
“The impact of care responsibilities on attendance and productivity in the workplace makes this an issue that employers cannot ignore.
“Forward-thinking employers recognise that these types of individuals, properly supported, can be a real asset to the business as they are very organised, compassionate and have many life skills making them strong candidates for career progression.”
A report from charity Carers UK last November found that 40% of carers gave up work to provide unpaid care, while 20% reduced their working hours.
Read more: Thousands of unpaid carers leaving the workplace
Millennials were most impacted by their caregiving responsibilities; they told Bupa they missed an average of six working days in sick or unpaid leave each year due to caregiving; 35% reported that this impacted their career progression.
A quarter (25%) of the women surveyed by Bupa reported that their career progression had been stunted by caring responsibilities.
Employers could better support carers by providing flexible working and improving access to opportunities that could boost their career progression, suggested Aaron Dryden, carer experience lead at insurance provider Yurtle.
“A big part of the career paradigm for carers is the need for flexibility in order to balance work and care, but with the consequence that working fewer hours takes a financial toll and can influence perceptions from employers about promotability,” Dryden told HR magazine.
“Forward-thinking employers are examining how they promote career progression and are using data to identify differences in success across demographics. Carers can struggle to engage in out-of-hours networking or events, or work-related travel.
“By considering the timing of such events, and even covering costs of paid carers so that out-of-hours work can be undertaken, employers will help the carers in their workforce to thrive.”
Claire Hawkins, director of corporate affairs and investor relations at insurance agency Phoenix Group, called on employers to go beyond the legislated requirement of five days paid carer's leave. Hawkins is also executive sponsor of Phoenix Group's colleague carers network.
“Employers can relieve some of the pressure on working carers by providing paid carer’s leave,” she commented.
“Phoenix Group offers 10 days paid carer’s leave to colleagues. We believe the government should build on the Carer’s Leave Act by making 10 days of paid carer’s leave a statutory right, and that businesses should not wait but, where possible, offer paid carer’s leave immediately.”
Read more: Minister Hollinrake: changes to employment law April 2024
Creating a carers’ network could also help employers better understand the needs of employees with caring responsibilities, Hawkins added.
She told HR magazine: “Establishing an internal carers’ network can be a really good step towards understanding the pressures affecting working carers, and the kind of support they need from employers. It also creates a space for colleagues to support and advocate for each other.”
Concern for family health led to 14% of employees struggling to concentrate at work, Bupa found, but this rose to 18% of millennials. Nearly half (45%) also noted that concern for their family’s health caused them to miss sleep, which had a knock-on impact on their performance at work.
Benefits should be tailored to the needs of carers, added Richard Norris, general manager for business and specialist products at Bupa UK Insurance.
He told HR magazine: “Employers should offer a range of initiatives to make sure their employees and families can access the help they need, as and when they need it, whether that's through gifting health benefits, providing health insurance for all the family or elderly phoneline services.
“They can also provide access to digital mental health support services so that employees can access any additional support they need to help manage the stress and anxiety of caring for family members.”
Bupa commissioned Censuswide to conduct a poll of 8,027 UK adults for its Bupa Wellbeing Index between 28 March and 2 April 2024.
