Life assurance, pensions and long-term savings company Standard Life is known for its flexible working policies. These benefit any employee, including unpaid carers. In the 10 years since it was introduced, the development of Standard Life’s Carer Policy has improved carer identification and helped create a more open, carer-friendly workplace.
Lynn Forrest is chair of the Carers Network at Standard Life, alongside her main role of Vulnerable Customer Manager and her caring role for her brother. He has a brain injury which has led to epilepsy and issues with memory, knowledge, understanding, and confidence. Up until last year, Lynn was also caring for her mum for 10 years, who had dementia.
Lynn’s double caring role has informed her work on the Carer Policy. Throughout this period, she has also worked full-time as a Vulnerable Customer Manager, which involves designing services that help carers. As chair of the Carers Network – now with over 100 members – she has become an unofficial carer champion at Standard Life. “People come to me when they want to talk about how their caring role impacts their work.”
Flexible working is widely used across Standard Life, with some people reducing their hours, some doing a 9-day fortnight, or others working entirely remotely. They also offer support for new parents and emergency leave options. “There’s no norm,” Lynn says. “And we do as much as we can to help people stay in the company.”
As well as flexible working options, carer support has increased in the last few years – starting with just 3 days paid carers leave, they now offer 10 days paid and 3 days unpaid. At the same time, awareness of the Carer Policy has improved, as Lynn and other managers have been proactive in sharing it regularly during internal meetings.
This has created a positive snowball effect, where line managers are role modelling carer-friendly behaviour by openly talking about their own caring responsibilities and need for flexible work. More employees are now using their carers leave, where previously they would have used sick days or annual leave.
“It’s amazing that so many carers feel more comfortable talking about their caring responsibilities now, and that they’re getting the support they need,” Lynn says. “Our network reflects this, and I know we’ve helped many more carers beyond that, too.”
