Last updated 10 November 2026
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Make flexible work easy to ask for, train managers to have supportive conversations and point caregivers to practical help. Small changes, such as a later start on appointment days, often help most.
Many working adults care for ageing parents while raising children. Most do not see themselves as caregivers and do not raise it at work, so the pressure on them often goes unnoticed until they burn out or resign.
What to do
- Make flexible work easy to ask for Say clearly which arrangements are possible, such as different start times or working from home on caregiving days, and how to request them.
- Train managers to ask and listen For example: “How are you managing things at the moment?” Many caregivers will not raise it unless they feel it is safe to.
- Agree arrangements and review them Caregiving needs change, so check every few months that the arrangement still works.
- Point caregivers to practical help, such as your EAP and the caregiver resources from the Agency for Integrated Care.
- Consider leave beyond the legal minimum, such as family care leave.
Watch out for
- Do not treat caregivers as less committed or pass them over for development. Once the Workplace Fairness Act takes effect, caregiving responsibilities are one of the protected characteristics.
- Colleagues who cover for a caregiver can become overloaded. Share the work out fairly.
Good to know
Since 1 December 2024, the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests require all employers to consider formal requests for flexible work properly.
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