From 6th April, an employee who has a dependant with a long-term care need may take one week’s unpaid leave to provide or arrange care in each rolling 12-month period. Eligible employee will be able to take leave, regardless of their length of service.
Carer’s leave may be taken in either individual days or half days, up to a block of one week, and need not be taken on consecutive days. The required notice period to be provided to the Company is either twice as many days as the period of leave required, or three days, whichever is the greater.
Employers should be aware that you cannot decline a request altogether but may postpone carer’s leave where it reasonably considers that the operation of the business would be unduly disrupted if it allowed the leave during the requested period.
During any period of carer’s leave, an employee is entitled to the benefit of all their terms and conditions, apart from the right to remuneration, and will remain subject to all their usual obligations.
Employees taking carer’s leave will have the same employment protections that are available to employees taking other forms of family-related leave, including protection from detriment and dismissal attributable to the fact that they took or sought to take carer’s leave.
The Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/251/
