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Supporting Parents and Carers

Balancing work with parenting and caring responsibilities

Many Usdaw members are juggling paid jobs with caring for someone, whether this be children, parents or a family member. Whilst this can be a very rewarding experience, it can also be hugely demanding and can be one of the most difficult issues members face.

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About this campaign

Usdaw campaigns for improved rights for parents and carers, and provide resources to inform members and reps about their existing rights, including accessing time-off and financial support through tax credits and other in-work benefits.

Each year, we run a spotlight day to focus on a particular issue, providing briefings and materials to help reps and activists organise a campaign event in their store.

This year’s Supporting Parents and Carers Spotlight Day takes place on Wed 25 June 2025.

How to support the campaign

  • Get involved on ‘Supporting Parents and Carers’ Spotlight Day
  • Take the survey
  • Share your story - If you're a parent or carer caring for anyone who faces issues at work due to neurodivergence, help us raise awareness by sharing your story. Contact the magazine team at [email protected]
  • Display our posters on your workplace noticeboard

Parents and Carers Spotlight Day

This year, our campaign Spotlight Day theme is 'Celebrating Different Minds.' 

The aim is to highlight the issues facing neurodivergent members at work and raise awareness of the support available to parents and carers who have neurodivergent family members.

Usdaw's Spotlight Day will look to:

  • Celebrate neurodiversity.
  • Raise awareness of how a lack of understanding leads to people with neurodivergence being excluded from, and treated less favourably, in work.
  • Inform people of the support members and those who are parenting neurodivergent children, or caring for neurodivergent adults, can expect to receive at work
  • Signpost members to organisations that specialise in advising neurodivergent people and their families about the support they are entitled to outside of the workplace.

What we've achieved last year

Last year's theme was 'Stand up for Carers' and, from April 2024, employees will have a statutory right to a week’s unpaid leave to care for a dependant. The carer’s leave regulations allow up to five days off each year to provide care for people who are elderly, are disabled or have an illness or injury lasting more than three months.
 
Employees using the leave must take a minimum of half a working day at a time; a working day meaning the employee’s usual working pattern. There is no need for the leave to be used on consecutive days, so that could be five separate days over a 12-month rolling period.

However, Usdaw believes this still doesn't go far enough and the leave needs to be paid.

Parents and Carers Spotlight Day 2023

Supporting Parents and Carers

"Many Usdaw members are juggling paid jobs with caring for someone and while this can be a very rewarding experience, it can also be hugely demanding. Unpaid carers need and deserve to be recognised and supported in their caring roles, but too many of them are not."

 

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary

21 November 2024

"Carers make a huge contribution to the NHS, social care and to society as a whole. Unpaid carers also make a significant difference to the lives of the people they give care to and enable disabled people and those living with long-term illnesses and health conditions to lead dignified, independent lives."

 

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary 

21 November 2024

"The pressures young parents and carers experience balancing their work life and caring responsibilities need to be addressed. We are concerned that young mothers are more likely to experience discrimination in the workplace related to their pregnancy or childcare."

 

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary

12 July 2024

"Usdaw’s own research shows 16 to 24-year-olds were least likely to know of their legal right to request flexible working, which could relieve some of the pressures young parents and carers face."

 

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary

12 July 2024

"Better support to stay in work benefits carers, the people they care for, employers and the wider economy. Carers make a huge contribution to the NHS, social care and to society as a whole.

 

"Unpaid carers also make a significant difference to the lives of the people they care for and enable disabled people and those living with long-term illnesses and health conditions to lead dignified, independent lives."

 

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary

26 June 2024

Publications

Worried about money? Know Your Rights (Leaflet 385)

16 April 2024

PDF eBook

Working Parents Know Your Rights (Leaflet 381)

16 April 2024

PDF eBook

Working Carers Know Your Rights (Leaflet 343)

16 April 2024

PDF eBook

Mental Health Issues - Where to go for help and support at work - an advice guide for Usdaw members (Leaflet 400)

13 August 2024

PDF eBook

Understanding Free Childcare Entitlements (Leaflet 460)

30 April 2023

PDF eBook

Parents & Carers - Not Enough Hours in the Day? (Leaflet 437)

28 February 2019

PDF eBook

Parents and Carers - Looking After Grandchildren? (Leaflet 422)

26 June 2017

PDF eBook

Working to Improve Maternity and Paternity Rights (A5 Leaflet)

11 March 2020

PDF eBook

Maternity Leave and Pensions Factsheet

30 April 2023

PDF