The Carer’s Leave Act will give employees a statutory right to a week’s unpaid leave to care for a dependant. Here is what we know about the law so far…and what we don’t.

• The Carer’s Leave Act 2023became law on 24 May 2023. However, it requires further regulations from the government setting out precisely how the entitlement will work.
• One week’s unpaid leave per calendar year available to employees (not workers) from day 1 – employees to self-certify their entitlement
• Will be determined by the carer’s relationship with the dependent: spouse, civil partner, child, parent; a person who lives in the same household as the employee (other than by reason of them being their employee, tenant, lodger, or boarder) or a person who reasonably relies on the employee for care
• The dependent must have a long-term care need- a long-term illness or injury (physical or mental) likely to require care for more than 3 months, a disability as defined under the Equality Act 2010, or issues related to old age
• Leave will be able to be taken either as a single block of one week or individual days or half days with notice provisions and rights not to be subjected to a detriment
• We will be providing clients with an updated Time off for Dependants Policy which will reflect these changes.

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