CARERS in Northern Ireland are being “left behind” as a legal entitlement to unpaid leave comes into effect in Britain, campaigners have warned.
Under the Carer’s Leave Act, which comes into force on Saturday in England, Wales and Scotland, employees who are carers can take up to a week of unpaid leave every 12 months, equating to five days for most people.
Workers are entitled to such leave to give or arrange care for a dependant, not necessarily a family member, who has a physical or mental illness or injury meaning they will need care for more than three months, who has a disability or who needs care due to old age.
The new legislation will not cover Northern Ireland, where employment rules are devolved to Stormont, which recently reformed after the DUP ended its two-year boycott over the UK government’s post-Brexit arrangements.
Economy Minister Conor Murphy has signalled that he intends to bring forward an employment Bill during the current mandate, which will consider carer’s leave.
Carers NI has called on the executive to go further than the Westminster legislation and to introduce paid leave for carers.
Craig Harrison, public affairs manager at the charity, said: “Many people with caring roles in Northern Ireland want and need to stay in work, but the lack of support to juggle employment with caring too often makes that impossible.
“Delivering new rights to carer’s leave is going to be a game-changer, not just in making life easier for carers, but in helping businesses to keep hold of valued staff, bringing in public revenue through tax receipts and reducing the number of carers who need to apply for support from the welfare system.”
He added: “Having no government in Stormont for two years has meant that local carers are now being left behind and missing out on a crucial new employment right that’s coming into force in GB.
“As a minimum we need to see parity for carers here, but there is also a significant moral, economic and financial case for the Economy Minister to go a step further and deliver paid carer’s leave in Northern Ireland.”
Pauline Holland lives in Belfast and cares for her son, who has autism and additional needs, while working full-time.
She said: “The fact that there are no legally enshrined workplace rights for unpaid carers in Northern Ireland is symptomatic of how little we are respected, recognised or valued by the government.
“What we do every day is exhausting. We’re saving Stormont billions of pounds a year and so surely a legal right to carer’s leave from work, to help us fulfil the numerous appointments and other pressures of caring — isn’t too much to ask?”
