The Carer’s Leave Bill
Authored by DAS
The Carer’s Leave Bill introduces the right for employees to take up to one week’s unpaid leave per year for employees who are providing or arranging care. It will be a day one right so carers will not be restricted if they have only just commenced employment with their employer.
Employers may want to consider whether they introduce a benefit of paying employees during carer’s leave to further support their employees and retain talent.
The leave will be flexible to suit the employee’s caring responsibilities and the employee will not need to evidence how the leave is used or who it is used for.
The Bill is currently at committee stage in the House of Lords after its second reading.
Once it is passed employers will need to update their current leave policies to ensure they meet the minimum requirements. Employers may also want to consider whether they introduce a benefit of paying employees during carer’s leave to further support their employees and retain talent.
Need to know more?
For more information on these changes or assistance with updating your policies or contracts, you can contact our Employment Client Services team here, or by calling the team 0344 2640102.
About DAS Group
The DAS UK Group comprises an insurance company (DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Ltd), a law firm (DAS Law), and an after the event (ATE) legal expenses division.
DAS UK introduced legal expenses insurance (LEI) in 1975, protecting individuals and businesses against the unforeseen costs involved in a legal dispute. In 2018 it wrote more than seven million policies.
The company offers a range of insurance and assistance add-on products suitable for landlords, homeowners, motorists, groups and business owners, while it’s after the event legal expenses insurance division offers civil litigation, clinical negligence and personal injury products. In 2013, DAS also acquired its own law firm – DAS Law – enabling it to leverage the firm’s expertise to provide its customers with access to legal advice and representation.
DAS UK is part of the ERGO Group, one of Europe’s largest insurance groups (the majority shareholder in ERGO is Munich Re, one of the world’s largest reinsurers).