UK ranks among worst in EU for carer leave

One year on from the UK’s Carer’s Leave Act coming into effect, new data suggests that unpaid carers continue to face limited workplace support in the UK.

Many working adults who need to look after a child or dependent are being forced to use their annual leave to manage their care duties alongside work. 

The research from Seniorcare by Lottie has revealed that the UK ranks tenth in Europe when it comes to its provision for carers.

UK ranks 10th in Europe for carer leave

The UK’s Carer’s Leave Act came into effect on April 6 2024. The act provides carers with up to one week of unpaid leave every 12 months to give or arrange care for a dependant with a physical or mental illness, injury, disability, or old age. 

If the carer is a parent who needs to take care of their child, the permitted leave is extended to 18 weeks. This is counted as parental leave and is separate from the Carer’s Leave Act.

Recent research from Lottie analysed the equivalent leave policies throughout Europe and found that the UK’s offering is paltry in comparison to that of other countries.

Sweden tops the charts with its generous 100 days of paid leave, paid at 80% of the carer’s regular salary. 

In second place is Italy, which offers carers three days of paid leave per month. This may reflect the fact that it currently has one of the oldest populations in Europe, meaning many employees have to take regular time off to take care of elderly relatives.

Germany, in sixth place, takes a flexible approach. It allows carers to take ten days of paid leave and up to six months of unpaid leave if long-term care is required. 

The UK’s Carer’s Leave allowance currently has no mention of paid leave at all, and even its unpaid allowance is stingy compared with some of its European counterparts. 

On the flipside, we slightly outperform Greece, Poland, Belgium, and Finland, which share the eleventh position with only five days unpaid leave. 

Why does it matter?

The lack of generosity in terms of carer’s leave is troubling because the UK is currently experiencing a significant demographic shift as its population ages. This is primarily due to increased life expectancy and declining fertility rates. 

In 2022, 19% of people in the UK were aged 65 or over. This number is projected to rise to 27% by 2072. 

The ageing population could even lead to more employees in the UK caring for elderly parents or relatives rather than for children. But while there has been a raft of reforms to maternity pay and paternity leave allowances, the Government has been slower to bring in new laws that support those who are caring for elderly relatives. 

For instance, new mothers can take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, whereas carers for elderly individuals are only entitled to one week of leave.

In light of this, it can be an empathetic move for employers to introduce an enhanced carer’s leave package for employees. 

Rewarding your staff with in-demand employee benefits like this can help boost your staff retention, attract top talent, and improve morale for your existing workforce. 

Tips for supporting adult carers in your workforce

This study was conducted by Lottie, the 2025 winner of our Startups 100 Index. Lottie helps families find high-quality, reliable care through its online marketplace of vetted care homes, retirement communities, and at-home care providers. It also offers helpful tools for comparing costs, bringing more transparency to the care options available.

“While the UK has made progress in supporting informal carers in the workplace, our analysis shows there is still lots to learn from other European countries, particularly in terms of paid leave,” says Elliott Winter, Commercial Lead at Seniorcare by Lottie.

To enhance the support available to informal carers in the workplace, Lottie recommends that employers go beyond the basics. 

This could include offering flexible working arrangements, additional leave, and access to mental health resources. 

Creating an internal carers’ network can also help ease feelings of isolation by facilitating peer-to-peer support. Training managers to understand carers’ needs and signpost them to appropriate resources is another practical step.

Finally, employers might also want to consider sharing information about local care services to help staff manage their caregiving responsibilities outside of work.

“With an ageing population, more employees are now balancing work with caring for elderly dependents rather than children, making it more important than ever before for employers to provide meaningful support for informal carers at work,” Winter adds. 

“Looking to neighbouring EU countries, we can learn valuable lessons in flexibility, longer-term commitment and financial support that can progress the way we approach carers’ leave here in the UK,” he concludes.