New guidance on carer’s leave

Acas and the government have both published guidance materials on the new unpaid carer’s leave rights which came into effect on 6 April 2024 (see Labour Research, April 2024, page 19).

The government guidance, on the gov.uk website, provides just a basic overview of these new rights.

However, Acas gives more detail about the various aspects of the rights. This includes covering who is entitled to the leave, how much leave can be taken, how to take carer’s leave; who counts as a dependant and when an employer can delay taking carer’s leave.

The Acas guidance also gives some worked examples showing how employees may take the leave, providing illustrative calculations for workers working part years or variable hours.

The guidance is a reminder that employees don’t have to put their leave request in writing or provide evidence of their dependant’s care needs.