Carers

The UK has many individuals who are carers, some caring for children, some for dependants with ill health, and some caring for older dependants.

Did you know that the UK has 1.4 million “Sandwich Carers” – those who are caring for dependent children as well as adult relatives?

With an aging demographic, statistically many more individuals are likely to become carers in the future.

Sandwich Carers

Of the 1.4 million sandwich carers, recent statistics show that –

61% are female                                                 

51% are aged 45 to 64 years

26% provide care for 20+ hours per week

What affect does caring have on searching for roles or securing employment?

Given these statistics, it is very likely that at some point in your careers you will be looking for employment, whilst you are caring for either younger, unwell, or older dependents (or potentially more than one category).

53% of sandwich carers report that they are unable to work at all, or as much, as they would like

16% find it difficult to manage financially

19% of all sandwich carers are currently diagnosed with depression

If you are a carer, who is also looking for work or in employment, you may experience physical symptoms including depression, low mood, fatigue, absence or lateness, or productivity. You may attempt to conceal your caring responsibilities, or not disclose them to potential employers, however this may result in you struggling to cope with the demands of care and work, which inevitably has an impact on other aspects of your life.

What kind of support can you expect from an employer?

There are various measures that may be available, including –

• Support, including one to ones, appraisals, return to work interviews, informal catch ups
• Access to management or HR support – ensure you know who you can talk to if you are struggling
• Accessible policies – make sure you are aware of, or can find, your rights to things like Carers Leave, Dependents Leave, Flexible Working Policies, or Family Leave
• Managers training – managers supporting and signposting you for further, specialist, support
• Flexible approaches – consider any flexibility that may be relevant to your jobs, for example hybrid working, working from home, flexible hours, permission to have your personal phone on in case of emergency calls

Support

It is important to seek support if you need it, and recognise that balancing caring alongside job searching, or working, can be a very difficult thing to manage. Reach out to those who can support, and remember to look after yourself, as well as those you are caring for. Please contact us and we can provide further information based on your individual circumstances (tracey@cvprime.co.uk).