Carer’s Leave
From 6 April 2024, employees are entitled to take up to one week of carer’s leave per year to care for a “dependant” with a “long-term care need”.
A dependant includes:
- a spouse, civil partner, child or parent of the employee;
- any person who lives at the same house as the employee (other than as a lodger, tenant, boarder or employee; or
- any other person who reasonably relies on the employee for care.
- have an illness or injury (whether physical or mental) that requires, or is likely to require, care for more than three months;
- have a condition that amounts to a disability under the Equality Act 2010; or
- require care for a reason connected to their old age.
Entitlement
Carer’s leave is a “day one” right, meaning that employees do not require a minimum period of service. The statutory right to carer’s leave applies to a wide range of caring situations, but excludes general childcare, except where the child meets the definition of a dependant with a long-term care need.
Amount of carer’s leave
The amount of carer’s leave that employees can take is up to one week in any 12-month rolling period.
A week of carer’s leave is the same duration as an employee’s normal working week, meaning that a full-time employee is entitled to five days’ carer’s leave in any 12-month rolling period. If an employee works part time 2 days a week, they will be entitled to four days of carer’s leave in any 12-month rolling period, and so on.
Employees are entitled to take the leave in one continuous block, as individual days, or as half days.
However, employees caring for more than one dependant, do not have a separate entitlement to carer’s leave for each dependant.
Pay during carer’s leave
Employees do not have a statutory right to be paid during carer’s leave. Therefore, any leave taken as carer’s leave is unpaid. While pay will cease, all other benefits will remain in place. For example, holiday entitlement continues to accrue. Pension contributions will continue to be paid.