A right to paid Carer’s Leave
Carers UK is calling for the introduction of a new statutory right to paid Carer’s Leave for all employees who have unpaid caring responsibilities, to help them juggle work and care.
Carers UK is calling for the Government to build on the Carer’s Leave Act 2023 and take the next step in providing working carers with the flexibility they need to juggle work and care, by legislating to introduce a new statutory right to paid Carer’s Leave for employees with unpaid caring responsibilities.
Our long-standing vision is for all working carers to have a statutory right to two weeks of paid Carer’s Leave a year, accompanied by a longer period of up to six months of unpaid leave. As employment rights are often built over time, we recommend that a pragmatic next step would be for the Government to introduce a statutory right to five days of paid Carer’s Leave during this Parliament.
Our campaign took a big step forward recently, as the Government launched (on Tuesday 9 June 2026) a new public consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers.
This will explore and ask for carers and employers views on a range of options to help unpaid carers remain in and return to work, including the introduction of a statutory right to paid Carer’s Leave.
Carers UK is encouraging individuals and employers to take part and share their experiences, to help shape future employment rights and workplace support for unpaid carers.
The Government consultation is open for 12 weeks and will close on 1 September 2026. You can find more information and share your views here.
