Caring and working: Your legal rights
If you work and are also a carer you have a legal right to request flexible working.
Balancing your work and your caring responsibilities can be challenging. As a carer you have a legal right to apply to your employer for flexible working. However, you have to qualify first, and although your employer must, by law, consider your application, they do not have to agree to your request.
What is ‘flexible working’?
There are many types of flexible working. They include: going part-time, changing shifts, working flexi-time, job share and working partly from home, but there are others. Look at all the options and think about which type would suit you best.
If your request is accepted this will be a permanent change to your working pattern.
Do I qualify?
To make an application you must be:
- an employee with 26 weeks continuous employment at the date you make an application
And you must also be either:
- a parent of a child (under 17) or of a disabled child (under 18) or
- a carer of your spouse, partner, civil partner, relative, or of someone not related to you as long as you live at the same address as them
How do I apply?
Your first step is to write to your employer. There are some important things you must write in your letter. You can find a list of these, along with a letter template that you can use, plus full details about the application process by clicking the link below.
For advice on caring and working please contact: Carers UK, 0808 808 7777