‘Flexible employment’ is a general term covering working arrangements that may be agreed between an employer and an employee. For example:

• part-time working
• term-time hours
• job-sharing
• working from home
• flexi-time – working essential ‘core’ hours with flexibility outside these times
• annual hours – hours worked are calculated over the year
• compressed hours – working the same hours over fewer days
• phased retirement

The right to request flexible working is available to all employees who have worked for an employer for 26 weeks or more continuously. Your employer has a legal duty to seriously consider a request for flexible working and can only refuse on specific business grounds – relating to financial or staffing implications, for example.

Your employer must make their decision within three months of your request, and should inform you of the outcome; you may ask for it in writing.

Applications should be written by letter or email or using an application form/template.

Your company may have its own application form, or you can use a template supplied on the government website here.

• Explain the reason for your application.
• Include the date, and a statement that you are making a statutory request.
• Set out your current working pattern and your revised working arrangement, including suggestions on how to resolve any negative impact the changes might cause.
• If your application is refused, you can appeal.
• Employees can only make one application for flexible working a year.

If your application is approved, the new working plan should be included in your contract of employment. Be aware that this change to your contract is legally binding and you cannot simply revert to your former conditions of employment if you do not wish to continue with flexible working.

Your employer may agree to a trial period, giving you both an opportunity, without commitment, to try out the suggested flexible working pattern.

If you feel your caring role may be temporary, it may be better to explore less formal changes to your working hours.

• If you care for someone and an emergency happens involving them, you have the right to take time off from work to deal with it.
• Your employer does not have to pay you for this time but they may do so. Alternatively, they could allow you ‘compassionate leave’, paid or unpaid, or ask you to use annual leave instead.
• The time allowed depends on the situation, but is to enable you to resolve the immediate problem and sort out alternative provision for your dependant. You would not normally use this time to care for a dependant over a longer period or to attend pre-planned meetings or appointments.

Parental leave is unpaid. You’re entitled to 18 weeks’ leave for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday. The limit on how much parental leave each parent can take in a year is 4 weeks for each child.

You must take parental leave as whole weeks rather than individual days unless your employer agrees otherwise or if your child is disabled.

Employees qualify if ALL of these apply:

• they have worked for the company at least 12 months.
• they are named on the child’s birth or adoption certificate or they have, or expect to have, parental responsibility.
• they are not self-employed, an agency worker or contractor.
• they are not a foster parent (unless they have secured parental responsibility through the courts).
• the child is under 18 years of age.

Some employers offer their employees the option of taking a career break (paid or unpaid) or sabbatical, holding your contract open for an agreed period while you are away from work. Check your company’s policy on this.

Further information at: www.gov.uk/career-breaks.

Your employer may agree to reduce your hours or reduce your level of responsibility for a set period of time to allow you to establish a new care situation or deal with increased care demands over a temporary period.

If you have a skill or product that you could turn into a business, working in a self-employed role could give you more flexibility to organise your caring responsibilities around your work.

Some carers have continued working for a previous employer on a
freelance basis, choosing when to take on work. Others have created home-based businesses, marketed through the internet.

Becoming self-employed can be complex so it is important to get further advice and support on the process.

If you are on a low income you may be eligible to have your income topped up with Universal Credit. Universal Credit has replaced Working and Child Tax Credits for most people.

The amount will depend on your situation, your income and the hours you work, so it is important to ensure that you are receiving what you are entitled to. Use a benefits calculator to find out what benefits you could be entitled to and how to make a claim.

You could also use an online benefits calculator to estimate your income under different working scenarios. This could help you decide on the number of hours you want to work or how you would be affected if you increased or decreased your salary.

As a carer you have a legal right to a carer’s assessment by your local Adult and Community services to assess the support you need in your caring role.

This includes looking at support you may need to work or study. If you are caring for your child, your assessment will form part of a ‘whole family assessment’.

Find out more about Carer’s Assessments here: Carer’s Assessments

You may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance if you regularly care for someone for at least 35 hours a week.

The person you care for must already receive one of the following benefits:

• Personal Independence Payment daily living component
• Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or higher rate
• Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

While receiving Carer’s Allowance you can work and earn up to £128 a week after deductions.

Find out more about Carer’s Allowance here: Carer’s Allowance

This is a National Insurance credit which helps build up your entitlement to State Pension, ensuring there are no gaps in your NI record if you give up work.

You could get Carer’s Credit if:

• you are caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week.
• the person you are caring for receives certain benefits – eligibility will depend on benefits received by the person (as for Carer’s Allowance above).

You will automatically receive Carer’s Credit if you receive Carer’s Allowance.