Informal care doesn’t follow a schedule.
Care changes.
Work must too.
Across Europe, millions of informal carers balance paid work with caring for a family member, friend or neighbour. But care rarely fits neatly into a calendar. Appointments change, emergencies happen, conditions fluctuate and caring responsibilities can arise at any moment.
THE REALITY OF CARE
A day that didn't go as planned
This is not a special case. It’s an ordinary Tuesday for millions of carers balancing a job with caring for a parent, partner or child.
08:05
Hospital calls about a change in mum's treatment plan.
09:00
Team meeting starts. Informal carer joins late, quietly rearranging the day.
11:20
The evening appointment is moved forward.
14:30
School calls. A second, unrelated interruption.
18:00
Work ends. Caring continues, unpaid and unscheduled.
22:00
Finally some time for one-self. Oh wait, no...
Care is unpredictable.
Life should be flexible enough to respond.
WHY FLEXIBILITY?
Flexibility is not a privilege.
It is essential.
When work, care services and policy flex around the reality of caring, everybody benefits.
IN PRACTICE
What flexibility looks like
Not one unachievable policy: six small, practical shifts that add up.
REAL STORIES
Voices of flexibility
Carers from across Europe on what flexibility has meant for them, and what is still missing.
“I will never forget and be forever grateful that my employer told me when my mom was dying and I needed to fly home immediately that ‘family comes first and we will cover you in your absence. Take the time you need’”.
“Without this I think I would not be able to manage full-time work and caring responsibilities.”
“Carer’s Leave is the poor relation of family leave policies.”
“I saw that there was a lot I could have done from home. But my application for a temporary teleworking position was rejected.”
“Teleworking makes this juggling act easier.”
“People often want to keep working, but they need flexibility.”
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Last Updated on August 13, 2026
