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.

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 campaign took place on Wed 26 June 2024.

How to support the campaign

Get involved on ‘Supporting Parents and Carers’ Spotlight Day – Read the briefing
Order your campaign materials
Take the survey
Share your story - If you're a carer, help us raise awareness by sharing your story. Contact the magazine team at [email protected]
Display our ‘Stand up for carers’ poster on your workplace noticeboard

Parents and Carers Spotlight Day - Wed 26 June 2024

Our campaign Spotlight Day this year has the theme 'Stand up for Carers', with the aim of the day being to recognise the huge contribution that unpaid carers make to society and to let carers know that Usdaw is on their side.

This year used Spotlight Day to:

Raise awareness of the rights carers have at work.
Highlight the impact on carers’ incomes of the cost of living crisis and the additional costs of caring.
Find out more about the problems members have juggling paid work with their unpaid care commitments.
Campaign for improvements to the new right to carer's leave, including for it to be paid.

What we've achieved so far

From 6 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.

Supporting Parents and Carers

"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

"Labour’s policy offer to working parents is a game changer, which will help many more access work and secure the income they need to raise their children in healthy and happy homes, free from the fear of in-work poverty."

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, on Labour's plans to deliver for working parents.

12 June 2024