Telling your employer about your caring role

It is your choice whether to tell your employer about your caring role or not.

To find out whether there is a carer’s policy or any extra support for carers in your workplace, you could check your contract of employment, staff handbook, HR policies or letter of appointment.

If there is a carer’s policy then what support it will offer will depend on your workplace. Examples include:

• carers’ leave (paid or unpaid)

• time off to accompany the person you are looking after to appointments (paid or unpaid)

• a carers’ support group or contact.

Telling other staff about your caring role

Colleagues can be very supportive, and it may help simply to discuss your situation with someone you can trust at work.

Other colleagues may also have caring responsibilities, and sharing experiences may give you added motivation to talk to your employer about how you can be supported. This could even lead to the setting up of a support group or employee network.

Arranging extra support whilst you are in work

If you feel getting some additional support in place for the person you are looking after would help you balance working and caring then this can be arranged privately or through the local authority via a Carers Assessment.