Carers’ workplace rights enter consultation

The government has opened a consultation on stronger workplace rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, including possible paid carer’s leave, a new right to return after intensive caring, and clearer guidance for workers and employers.

Launched by the Minister for Employment Rights, the consultation will run until 1 September 2026. Ministers are seeking views from carers, parents, employers, and campaign groups as part of the wider Make Work Pay agenda.

Around three million unpaid carers currently balance paid work with caring responsibilities, according to the government. Many reduce hours, delay returning to work, or leave employment altogether, with the resulting loss of working-age participation estimated to cost the economy £37bn a year.

The proposals include introducing paid carer’s leave for the first time, creating a “right to return” to work after a period of intensive caring, and producing new guidance to help workers and employers understand workplace protections. The consultation also asks for views on Hugh’s Law, a campaign for stronger rights and financial support for parents of seriously ill children.

Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said: “You shouldn’t have to choose between your job and those you love.” Carers UK chief executive Helen Walker said the consultation was “a significant moment” in its campaign for stronger rights for working carers.

The proposals would add to an already active employment policy agenda. The government’s separate zero-hours consultation is examining guaranteed-hours rights, notice periods, and cancellation payments. Together, the measures show ministers moving from broad labour-market commitments into the detailed mechanics of working time, income security, and employer obligations.

Any new statutory entitlement would have practical effects across HR, payroll, line management, and workforce planning. Paid leave would require employers to build entitlement tracking, documentation, approval, and payroll processes. A right to return would affect absence policies, role coverage, succession planning, and performance management where staff need extended time away from work.

Retention is the clearest workforce argument. Experienced employees who leave work because caring responsibilities become unmanageable are expensive to replace. Recruitment costs, lost knowledge, slower onboarding, and reduced internal capability sit alongside the personal and social cost of people leaving employment involuntarily.

Carer support is also becoming a demographic issue. An ageing population, pressure on health and social care services, and longer working lives mean caring responsibilities are increasingly likely to sit alongside mid-career and senior roles. Policies designed around rare exceptions may no longer reflect workforce reality.

Cost and coverage questions will shape the consultation response. Smaller employers may be concerned about short-notice cover, payroll complexity, and the financial effect of paid leave. Larger organisations may have more capacity to absorb absence, but specialist teams, frontline services, and management roles can still be difficult to cover.

The design of any statutory entitlement will be critical. Clear eligibility rules, notice requirements, evidence thresholds, pay calculations, and interaction with existing leave rights would reduce the risk of inconsistent decisions. Ambiguity would push complexity onto employers and workers, increasing the likelihood of disputes.

Workplace culture will also affect how the policy operates in practice. Employees often avoid disclosing caring responsibilities until a crisis point, particularly where they fear being viewed as less committed. Statutory rights may make conversations easier, but line managers will still need training to handle requests fairly and consistently.

The consultation gives employers and representative bodies a chance to influence workable rules before legislation is finalised. Caring responsibilities are moving from informal accommodation into the centre of employment rights reform, and the eventual model will determine how far that shift changes everyday workforce planning.