Enhance Carers Leave

Introduce Paid Carers Leave and Increase the Amount of Leave

Carers Leave was introduced in April 2024 and gives eligible employees the right to take 5 days of unpaid leave in each 12 month period. The intention is to enhance carers leave by making time off a paid entitlement and extending the amount of leave that an employee with caring responsibilities can take.

Proposed Changes

Labour intends to make carer’s leave a paid entitlement (it is currently unpaid)

The amount of leave that can be taken may be increased (it is currently a maximum of 5 days in a 12 months period). Also the entitlement is currently limited to five days per employee, not five days per dependent with caring needs; so this element of the right could also be amended.

Timescales

This legislation would need to progress through Parliament to receive Royal Assent before been implemented into legislation. It is likely to be 2025 before this becomes law.

Top Tips

As the original legislation was only implemented in April 2024 you probably haven’t had many, if any, requests for time off under this right as yet. Introducing pay into the mix is likely to increase interest in this new right. This entitlement is in addition to the other legislation and is likely to become popular as an add on to time off for dependants which allows an employee to take time off to care for dependents in an emergency.

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