More than 5 million people in the UK are juggling unpaid caring responsibilities with work. That's 1 in 7 of the workforce!
Most people will be a care giver at some point in their lives and research has shown that, if unsupported, caring whilst working can result in poorer mental health, higher risk of burnout and greater financial worries.
This hybrid event included an audience of D&I champions and colleagues with caring responsibilities from The Hartford.
The aim was to explore the challenges faced by working carers, how they can access the right help and what organisations can do to support care givers in the workplace.
As part of this session Will More from Carers UK shared a short presentation about the rights and support available for working carers whilst The Hartford's Tana Cassidy, Senior HR Business Partner, shared information on creating a carer-friendly workplace.
DWF's Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Tamsin McCarthy, and Partner Harriet Quiney also shared their experiences of best practice and initiatives undertaken by the DWF Carers Group and Disability Network, Diverse Ability.
John Munnings-Tomes, Chief Risk Engineer and DEI Committee Member at The Hartford, said: “The opportunity for engagement with DWF on the topic of Carers was hugely valued by The Hartford. Such collaboration, particularly for a volunteer DEI group, is a hugely efficient way of learning where others have trodden before, and at the same time providing a sanity check as to how well we are doing in this area. An introduction to Carers UK was a gem, and the insight provided by DWF on what has worked for them was much appreciated."