Unpaid carer's leave will let me get back to work

Lindsay McCurley from Glasgow is a single parent carer. She looks after her teenage son Nathan, who has autism.

She is among thousands of people across the UK who struggle with trying to care for a relative long-term while also trying to stay in paid employment.

Lindsay had hoped to train as a teacher but when Nathan was diagnosed, aged five, she set aside those ambitions to concentrate on looking after him.

"I have to be available for him at the drop of a hat, which most parents would agree they have to do for their kids but it's different in ways for kids who have disabilities," she said.

"I've wanted to go back to working for a long time but I didn't feel like it was a good time for Nathan to do it and also I didn't think it would be fair to an employer.

"I didn't want to go for a job and then have to give it up three months later."

But now a change in the law, due to come into force on 6 April, means people who care for relatives outside of work can take an extra week of unpaid leave every year.

The Carer's Leave Act, which will apply across the UK, allows employees with long-term care commitments to take five additional days off annually. These can be taken as half days or full days, as long as they provide employers with a few days' notice.

Lindsay said the change will make it easier for people like her to get back into the workplace.

"I'm very excited about the prospect of going back to work," she told BBC Scotland News.

The new legislation was brought forward to the UK parliament by Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain. It is a change that caring organisations have spent years advocating for.

They say about a third of carers in the UK would get back to work if they had more support like this.

"Far too many carers have to give up work or reduce their hours just to manage work and care," said Fiona Collie, from Carers Scotland.

"Having a bit of flexibility and the option to take some leave when they need it will be vital to them."

She said it would help reduce sick leave, absence rates, and burnout among workers.

"This is a general election year, so we would like to see all of the parties commit to at least two weeks carer's leave and commit to implementing paid carer's leave," she added.

Research from Carers Scotland has suggested that nearly 300,000 people continue to try and juggle work and unpaid care - one in seven of the working age population.

According to trade bodies, the new law will improve people's work-life balance and could entice others back into the jobs market.

"Caring responsibilities are a major driver of economic inactivity," said Colin Borland, from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

"About half of small employers in Scotland say they don't have sufficient staff to meet their business ambitions, so the more we can do to help people stay in the workforce or indeed attract them back to the workforce, then the better for everyone."

And Lindsay agrees that employers could benefit from the skills carers like her can bring to the workplace.

"I think it would really be great for the employers as well because they're getting more active employees who want to do the job and are more dedicated to it," she said.

"If you're loyal to them, they'll be loyal to you."