More than 1,500 people a day have left work in the past two years to care for a family member of friend, according to research for Carers UK.
An estimated 1.1 million people left employment during that period, bringing the total number who have quite their jobs to provide unpaid care to 3.33 million.
The survey, carried out by Opinium for Carers UK, found one in five UK employees now has caring responsibilities, up from 15% in 2019.
It also found 59% of working carers said caring had affected their employment, including through reduced hours, lower-paid work or missed career opportunities.
Emily Holzhausen, director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK, described the survey’s findings as ‘deeply worrying’.
‘These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care,’ she added.
The charity is calling for a legal right to paid carer’s leave. The research found 73% of UK adults supported five days of paid leave, while 79% said flexible working and support from employers were important.
Claire Hawkins, director of corporate affairs and chief os staff at Standard Life, which supported the research, said: ‘Carers play a vital role in supporting families and communities, but the growing number of people leaving work to care for loved ones highlights the need for greater support.
‘Time out of the workforce can have lasting consequences, reducing income, retirement savings and the opportunity to build the long-term financial resilience that underpins security in later life.’
‘As policymakers consider the future of support for unpaid carers through initiatives such as the recent consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers and wider social care reform, there is a real opportunity for employers and government to work together,’ Hawkins continued.
‘By helping more people stay in work while managing caring responsibilities, we can support greater financial resilience throughout life and help more people achieve better outcomes in retirement.’
Image: Shutterstock
In related news:
Leave a Reply