You shouldn't have to choose between your job and caring
Millions of people in the UK juggle paid work with caring for a relative or friend. It's hard — and too many people end up giving up work they value because the two feel impossible to combine. Carers UK's State of Caring 2025 survey found that nearly half (47%) of working carers were considering reducing their hours or leaving work altogether.
You have more rights than you might think. Knowing them is the first step to making work and care fit together.
The Carer's Leave Act: a week of leave from day one
Since 6 April 2024, the Carer's Leave Act 2023 has given employees in England, Wales and Scotland a new right: up to one week (five days) of unpaid leave each year to care for a dependant with a long-term care need.
The key features:
- It's a day-one right. You don't need any minimum length of service — it applies from your first day in the job.
- It covers more than just family. A "dependant" is anyone who relies on you for care: a spouse, parent, child, other relative, or even a friend or neighbour.
- The care need must be long-term: an illness or injury expected to last at least three months, a disability, or care needs related to old age.
- You can take it flexibly: in half-days, full days, or a block of up to a whole week.
- You're protected. You cannot be treated unfairly or dismissed for taking, or asking to take, carer's leave.
You don't need to provide evidence or proof of how the leave is used. You do need to give notice — generally twice as many days' notice as the leave you want to take, or three days, whichever is longer.
One important limit: this leave is unpaid. Some employers offer paid carer's leave on top of the legal minimum, so it's always worth checking your own organisation's policy.
The right to request flexible working
Separately from carer's leave, you have the right to request flexible working from your first day in a job. That might mean different hours, compressed days, working from home, or job-sharing — whatever helps you fit work around caring.
Your employer must consider the request reasonably and respond within two months. They can only refuse for specific business reasons. You can make two requests in any 12-month period.
A well-framed flexible working request is often the single most useful thing a working carer can do. Be specific about what you're asking for and, where you can, explain how it will still work for the business.
Time off for emergencies
On top of all this, employees have a long-standing right to reasonable unpaid time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependant — for example, if the person you care for falls ill suddenly or their care arrangements break down unexpectedly. This is meant for dealing with the immediate crisis, not ongoing care, but it's a useful safety net.
How to talk to your employer
Many carers never tell their employer they're caring, often out of worry it will count against them. But an employer who doesn't know can't help. A short, practical conversation often unlocks more flexibility than people expect.
- Tell them you're a carer. You don't need to share every detail — just enough for them to understand your situation.
- Come with a proposal, not just a problem. "I'd like to start at 10am on Tuesdays so I can take Mum to her appointments" is easier to say yes to than an open-ended request.
- Ask about existing policies. Many larger employers have carer's policies, paid carer's leave, or staff carer networks that aren't widely advertised.
- Put requests in writing so there's a clear record of what was agreed.
Get your needs recognised too
If you haven't already, request a carer's assessment from your local council. As well as unlocking practical support, it creates an official record that you are a carer — which can strengthen a flexible working request and help with benefit claims.
Combining work and care is genuinely demanding. But with leave rights, flexible working, and an employer who knows the situation, far more people manage to keep both than feel they can — and keeping a foot in the working world protects your finances, your pension, and your own sense of self.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Employment rights can change and individual circumstances vary; check the current GOV.UK and Acas guidance, or speak to an adviser, for your situation.