’We aim to alleviate some of the strain on working carers and foster an inclusive working environment,’ says chief people officer
(Re)insurance group MS Amlin has launched a new paid carer’s leave policy to support colleagues juggling caring responsibilities alongside work commitments.
The policy will enable all employees to take a week off every year to provide care for dependents and forms part of the insurer’s expanding suite of life-stage benefits for its workforce, which includes fully paid parental leave for all employees, paid fertility leave, support for pregnancy loss and diagnosis for menopause and perimenopause.
Under MS Amlin’s policy, employees are entitled to up to five days of paid leave a year to care for a spouse, civil partner, child, parent or another dependent household member or neighbour.
It is available to all employees giving or arranging care for someone who has a physical or mental illness or injury, a registered disability or elderly care needs and can be taken flexibly as individual or consecutive full or half days.
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News of the expansion in staff policies followed an analysis by Carers UK earlier this year (5 April 2024) that revealed around 1.6m people in full-time employment in England and Wales were looking after someone elderly, disabled or with a long-term health condition.
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The firm explained that with the launch of paid carer’s leave, MS Amlin is going beyond the provisions of the Carer’s Leave Act introduced in April 2024. The act grants employees the statutory right to one week of unpaid leave per year for caring responsibilities.
Gemma Lines, chief people officer at MS Amlin, said: “As we live longer and family structures change, more of us will find ourselves responsible for caring for dependents.
“Juggling caring duties with a full or part-time job can be overwhelming and we believe people should not feel forced to choose between their careers and caring responsibilities.
“By introducing paid carer’s leave, we aim to alleviate some of the strain on working carers and foster an inclusive working environment that supports people at all life stages.”
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