Caring responsibilities and healthcare work

Many healthcare staff care for someone outside work as well as for patients at work. A staff nurse arranges her mother's care around twelve-hour shifts. A pharmacist with a disabled child needs predictable finish times. A medical student supports a partner through cancer treatment. Rotas, on-call and short-notice changes make caring harder. UK law gives you some leave and the right to ask for a different working pattern, and most NHS employers offer more than the legal minimum.

Your legal rights as a working carer

Carer's leave. The person you care for does not have to be a relative. They need to have an illness or injury expected to need care for more than 3 months, a disability under the Equality Act 2010, or care needs linked to old age. Your employer cannot refuse carer's leave but can postpone the leave if your absence would seriously disrupt the service. A postponement must come with written reasons, and the new date must fall within one month of the date you asked for.

Time off for dependants. This right covers sudden problems, such as a carer not turning up, a child falling ill or a dependant being admitted to hospital. Tell your manager as soon as you can and say how long you expect to be away. Planned appointments fall outside this right, so use carer's leave, annual leave or a rota swap instead.

Making a flexible working request

A flexible working request can cover your hours, start and finish times, the days you work or where you work. In healthcare, common requests include fixed days, no nights, school-hours shifts, a compressed week or self-rostering. Your employer can refuse only for one of the business reasons set by law, and must consult you before turning the request down.

Make the request in writing and include:

• The pattern you want and the date you want the change to start.
• How the change affects the team and how the team would cover the gaps.
• A trial period, if you think the manager has doubts.
• The date of any previous request in the last 12 months.

Resident doctors should also speak to their training programme director about less than full-time training. Foundation trainee pharmacists should check the part-time rules with their training provider before agreeing a pattern.

Discrimination and carers

Caring is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. You are still protected from direct discrimination and harassment because of your association with a disabled person, such as a disabled child or parent. Policies which hit women harder, such as rigid full-time rotas, may amount to indirect sex discrimination unless the employer can justify them. The discrimination guide explains how to get advice.

Money and practical support

Unpaid leave and reduced hours cost money. Check your employer's carer policy, as many NHS employers offer paid special leave. Carer's Allowance and other benefits have their own rules on hours and earnings, so check GOV.UK or nidirect before changing your hours. The money worries guide lists help from healthcare charities.

Support organisations for working carers

Nurses can ask the RCN for advice on carer policies. Pharmacists can contact the Pharmacists' Defence Association about a refused request. For free employment advice, contact Acas in Great Britain or the Labour Relations Agency in Northern Ireland. If caring pressure is affecting your health, read the burnout guide or use the urgent support page.

Related guides

Boundaries at work · Bereavement and work · Returning after sickness absence · Workplace rights and wellbeing