Balancing Work and Care: A Growing Challenge for Millions of Unpaid Carers

On 16 September, Carers UK published new research highlighting the growing challenge facing millions of people who are combining paid employment with unpaid care.

Balancing Work and Unpaid Care: A Critical Issue, supported by Standard Life, draws on new polling by Opinium and finds that one in five UK workers – around 6.7 million people – are now juggling paid work with unpaid caring responsibilities.

The research shows a particularly concerning increase in the number of people leaving employment because of caring responsibilities. An estimated 1.1 million people have left work to provide unpaid care in the past two years – equivalent to around 1,500 people every day. This compares with Carers UK’s estimate of around 600 people leaving work to care each day in 2019. Millions more have reduced their working hours to manage their caring responsibilities.

These findings demonstrate that supporting unpaid carers to remain in employment is not only important for carers’ financial security, careers, health and wellbeing, but also for employers and the wider economy. As populations across Europe age and the demand for care increases, ensuring that people can combine employment and care successfully will become increasingly important.

The report highlights the difference that carer-friendly employers can make through supportive workplace cultures, flexible working and dedicated leave. It also comes at an important moment for employment rights in the UK, following a recent UK Government consultation examining how employment rights for unpaid carers could be strengthened, including through paid Carer’s Leave.

Carers UK is calling on the UK Government to build on the introduction of statutory unpaid Carer’s Leave by introducing a statutory right to paid Carer’s Leave, alongside stronger employment rights and greater investment in social care so that carers have the support they need to remain in employment.

The challenges identified in the report will be familiar across Europe. Creating labour markets that recognise caring as a normal part of working life, and give carers the flexibility and security to combine the two, will be essential to building sustainable and inclusive economies as our societies change.

Read Carers UK’s Balancing Work and Unpaid Care report here: https://www.carersuk.org/reports/balancing-work-and-unpaid-care-a-critical-issue/