Make Work Pay: employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children

We are seeking views on the employment rights available to people who have unpaid caring responsibilities and to parents who are caring for a child with a serious illness. This discussion aims to gather insights on how current protections function in practice, identify gaps, and explore opportunities for stronger support through policy and workplace arrangements.

Context and purpose
– Many workers juggle paid employment with significant caregiving duties. The needs and pressures can vary widely, from short-term health crises to long-term, ongoing care responsibilities.
– For parents and carers facing a seriously ill child, the impact on employment can be profound—affecting attendance, performance, career progression, and financial stability.
– A clear understanding of existing rights is essential for workers, employers, and policymakers to ensure fair treatment, reduced hardship, and better employer-employee relations.

Key rights and protections currently relevant
– Family Leave and Carer’s Leave: Entitlements that allow time away from work to care for a family member or to manage medical appointments and emergencies.
– Sick Leave and Pay: Provisions enabling time off when a child or dependent is ill, including eligibility for statutory or company sick pay.
– Flexible Working: The right to request flexible hours, remote working, or adjusted shifts to accommodate caregiving responsibilities.
– Parental Leave and Pay: Statutory entitlements for new or transitioning parents, and the potential impact of caregiving responsibilities on eligibility and duration.
– Disability and Ill Health Protections: Protections for employees whose caregiving duties relate to disability considerations or long-term health conditions affecting the child.
– Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination: Safeguards against unfavourable treatment due to caregiving responsibilities, including potential protections under equalities legislation.
– Right to Request Reasonable Adaptations: For employees with caregiving roles, the possibility of workplace adjustments to support performance and attendance.

Challenges and gaps observed in practice
– Awareness and accessibility: Many workers are unaware of their rights or how to exercise them effectively, leading to inconsistent utilisation.
– Inflexible cultures: Workplace norms may prioritise uninterrupted attendance, creating fear of reprisal or career stagnation for carers.
– Pay and accrual gaps: Some leave provisions are unpaid or poorly compensated, exacerbating financial strain for households with unpaid care duties.
– Variability across sectors: Part‑time workers, casual staff, and those in non-traditional employment arrangements may find rights less clearly defined or harder to access.
– Impact timing: Illness trajectories can be unpredictable, making it difficult to navigate intermittent leave and return-to-work planning.

Questions for stakeholders
– What aspects of current employment rights most effectively support unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, and where do they fall short?
– How can workplaces improve awareness, accessibility, and consistency of rights across sectors and job types?
– Are current leave provisions sufficient in duration and pay, or should there be enhanced safeguards for financial stability during caregiving periods?
– What role should flexible working play in enabling carers to sustain employment without compromising caregiving responsibilities?
– How can policymakers better align disability, health, and family-related protections to reflect the realities faced by families dealing with serious illness in a child?
– What practical guidance or resources would help employees navigate rights, processes, and return-to-work planning more effectively?

Ways to contribute your views
– Share experiences of using or attempting to use family, carer, or flexible working rights.
– Highlight any gaps encountered in pay, duration, or the ease of obtaining adjustments.
– Suggest practical policy reforms or workplace practices that would make a meaningful difference.
– Provide examples of successful employer approaches to supporting carers and families facing illness.

Looking ahead
– The aim of gathering these views is to inform improvements in employment rights and workplace practices that recognise the realities of unpaid caregiving and serious childhood illness.
– We welcome input from employees, employers, human resources professionals, trade unions, policymakers, and anyone with lived experience.

Please share your perspectives and experiences to help shape a more supportive, fairer framework for those balancing work with caregiving and parental responsibilities in the context of serious child illness.

June 9, 2026 at 09:30AM
让工作得到报酬：无偿照护者和重病儿童父母的雇佣权利
我们正在征求对无偿照护责任人士以及有重病儿童的父母可获得的雇佣权利的意见。

阅读更多中文内容： 为承担无偿照护责任的个人与父母在严重患病子女情形下的就业权利之探讨