Support while working

Talk to your employer

An understanding and knowledgeable employer or manager can make all the difference to whether or not you feel able to seek support. Ask the personnel, welfare or occupational health officer, union or staff association representative or colleagues whether or not your workplace has a policy in place. There may be existing support that you are not aware of, or you may find that your employer is open to exploring ways to support carers.

Colleagues can also be very supportive, and it may help simply to discuss your situation with someone you trust. You may discover that some of your colleagues are carers, too. If so, you could approach your employer together, and perhaps even organise a focus group, so you can all better juggle your jobs and caring.

Types of support

You are likely to need a range of support and will often have different needs at different times. For example, you may simply need regular access to a telephone, so you can check on the person you care for during the day. Alternatively, you may need to take annual leave that corresponds to their hospital discharge. One carer was able to drive home to check on her elderly mother each lunchtime because her employer gave her a car parking space close to the office building.

Visit the Employers for Carers site for more information about what employers can do to support working carers.