The business case for supporting working carers

Key facts about workers as carers and your business:

• 3 million people work and care in the UK – 1 in 9 in every workplace … and this figure is set to increase *
• 1 in 6 give up work or reduce hours to care

(* The demographic time bomb: our ageing population & ageing workforce, including later state pension ages = more people needing to combine work & care)

Business that support their employees as carers reap the benefits: the 4 R’s

• Retention of key staff (reduced recruitment & retraining costs)
• Resilience of staff (improved health, engagement and productivity & reduced stress, sick leave and absenteeism)
• Recruitment of talent to the workforce
• Results for the bottom line

Evidence from over 200 employers shows that providing carers with better support in the workplace has resulted in business benefits and cost savings.

Do you need information or guidance on supporting your employees as carers?

Carers UK  is the UK’s only national membership charity for carers and runs the Employers for Carers (EfC) forum   in partnership with a pioneering Leadership Group of employers.

About Employers For Carers (EfC) in a nutshell

EfC is a growing membership forum and service for employers who are seeking to support the carers in their workforce and retain key talent. EfC is managed and supported by the specialist knowledge of Carers UK and is steered by a Leadership Group of pioneering employers. Formally launched as a membership forum in January 2009 (after many years of earlier work with employers), EfC now has over 90 member organisations covering at least 1 million employees and is continuing to grow. The forum provides practical ‘hands on’ advice and support for employers and the benefits of membership include:

• Dedicated website including resources for all your managers and employees
• Practical guides and advice for managers and carers including case studies, model policies, FAQs and tools and tips
• Annual expert information or diagnostic sessions in your workplace (as required) including our popular ‘lunch and learn’ events
• Opportunity to share and learn from other employers including at our regular member networking events

How EfC helps (the 4 P’s):

• Policies: reviewing and implementing, including case studies and practice examples
• Promotion: help with publicity and awareness raising activities, assisting you to identify and engage carers in your workforce
• Practice: supporting your line managers to recognise and implement carer friendly policies
• Peer support: helping you to develop and sustain a carers network/network of support (including online).

Examples:

• BT has calculated that the average 21% increase in productivity for their flexible workers is worth at least £5 million on their bottom-line.
• British Gas has calculated that their special leave arrangements for carers have delivered a bottom-line return of £1 million a year.
• A landmark joint Employers for Carers/Carers UK and HM Government Report Supporting Working Carers published 2013 Supporting Working Carers includes evidence from over 200 employers that providing carers with better support in the workplace has resulted in business benefits and cost savings.

For information on joining please visit the site.