Carer's Leave Policy (PS 332)
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE POLICY
Nottinghamshire Police and the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) recognises that our staff is the organisation’s most valuable asset. We understand that staff/officers will have a life outside of work including caring responsibilities and that they may need to combine work with care.
We also recognise that all carer’s should have the ability to effectively plan their caring responsibilities and recognise the challenges that carer’s may face while trying to balance the demands of caring, work, and looking after their own health. Nottinghamshire Police and the OPCC, we are committed to doing what we can to help to ensure that the health and wellbeing of individuals with caring responsibilities is looked after.
We acknowledge that an individual’s entitlement to periods of planned carer’s leave contributes positively upon the individual’s wellbeing and work life balance. Planned carers leave can also enable individuals to plan and allocate leave in advance for such eventualities.
The statutory entitlement of carer’s leave is a week’s unpaid leave Unpaid carer’s leave - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The purpose of this policy is to:
- Set out the statutory right of individuals to carer's leave to provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need, and other support that we offer to combine work with care.
- Outline the support Nottinghamshire Police and the OPCC will offer to our staff/officers that have caring responsibilities as we want to ensure that our organisation is parent and carer friendly.
- Offer guidance for them to balance their working and caring commitments effectively as we want to reduce the pressure that parenting and caring can have on an individual’s mental, physical and financial wellbeing.
- Aid recruitment as we want to recruit individuals from a diverse background.
- Aid retention of staff/officers with caring responsibilities as we want to retain the experience and skills of our workforce and increase productivity.
- To provide support to managers so that they can effectively support their staff/officers as we want our workplace to be inclusive and compassionate.
POLICY STATEMENT / DETAILS
Carer’s leave entitlement
Carer’s leave entitlement allows those with caring responsibilities the ability to flexibly take up to a weeks’ unpaid leave to provide or arrange care for a dependant with long-term care needs.
This policy is applicable to:
- All police officers.
- All police staff.
- All staff of the OPCC.
Throughout this document, where it refers to staff/individuals ‘employee/s’, this refers to the person making the request for carer’s leave and this includes police officers, police staff and all staff of the OPCC.
Carer’s leave is a “day one” right. Staff/officers are entitled to carer’s leave from their first day of work for Nottinghamshire Police or the OPCC, meaning they do not require a minimum period of service.
Key principles
The carer’s leave runs for the 12-month period, 1 April to 31 March inclusive (“the Carer’s Leave Period”). Carer’s leave can be taken as a block of leave, full days, or half days. A half day of carer’s leave is the minimum individuals can take, amounting to the individuals’ contracted hours. For example, if someone usually works 3 days a week, they can take 3 days of carer’s leave.
Carer’s leave weeks’ entitlement is:
- 40 hours for police officers.
- 37 hours for police staff/OPCC staff.
- This is pro rata for individuals working part time.
Definition of a dependant
Meaning of a dependant:
- A dependant does not have to be a family member.
- It can be anyone who relies on the individual for care.
- A dependant is defined as an individual’s spouse, civil partner, child, or parent.
- Any person who lives in the same household as the individual (other than as a lodger or similar).
- Any other person who would reasonably rely on the individual employee to provide or arrange care, such as an elderly neighbour.
Staff/officers will be entitled to unpaid leave to give or arrange care for a ‘dependant’ who has:
- Illness or injury that means they’re expected to need care for more than 3 months.
- A disability - as defined in the Equality Act 2010 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Care needs connected to their old age.
Officers/staff might need to care for more than one dependant. In these circumstances, they can still only take one week of unpaid carer's leave. But they can use the week of leave for more than one dependant. It is still a maximum of one working week every 12 months. Carer’s months. Carer’s Leave Period i.e., from 1 April to 31 March inclusive.
Carer’s leave requests/approval process
Requests for carer’s leave should be made within a reasonable period of notice. An individual might need to take time off at short notice to care for a dependant. Line Managers should be flexible about time off where they can be. The minimum notice the individual must give will depend on how many days of carers leave they want to take. For example, if five days of carer’s leave is being requested, the individual must make their request no later than ten days before the leave commences.
The notice period needs to be in full days, even if the request includes half day amounts.
Minimum notice requirements
| Number of days requested | Minimum notice required |
| Half a day to 1 day | 3 days' notice |
| 1.5 to 2 days | 4 days' notice |
| 2.5 to 3 days | 6 days' notice |
| 3.5 to 4 days | 8 days' notice |
| 4.5 to 5 days | 10 days' notice |
| 6 days (if an employee works 6 days a week) | 12 days' notice |
To take the carer’s leave entitlement, individuals do not have to:
- Put their request for leave in writing.
- Give their employer evidence of their dependant's care needs before the leave is approved.
Individuals should submit requests for carer’s leave to their line manager to review and consider, within a reasonable timeframe. The request should clearly state the dates they wish to take unpaid carers leave. This should be discussed via a meeting or via email, if this is appropriate.
Line managers will be required to review and approve the request, where appropriate and email the Lifecycle team with the final agreed dates. Line Managers of police officers and rostered staff must consult Resource Management Unit (RMU) before approving the dates.
Life cycle will process the request, adjust pay and update the individual and the line manager.
Postponing carer’s leave
While every effort will be made to meet a request for carer's leave, Nottinghamshire Police /OPCC are entitled to postpone the leave if we consider that an individual’s absence will seriously disrupt operational needs.
In such cases, we will consult with the individual to find an alternative leave period within one month of the carer's leave period originally requested.
We will also write to the individual within seven days of the request, or before the leave starts, whichever is the earlier clarifying the reason for the postponement and the alternative dates on which the leave can be taken.
Carer’s leave implications
Unlike other unpaid leave, for officers and staff carer’s leave will not impact annual leave entitlement, pension service and any other terms and conditions of employment which would have applied if the individual was not absent on carer’s leave. As such, these will accrue in the normal way. So, employer contributions will continue, and individuals can make up the contributions, either through in-house Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC’s) or Additional Pension Contributions (APC’s), lost pension or extra pension. For further information refer to the Local Government Pensions Scheme directly.
For redundancy purposes, redundancy pay should be calculated as if the individual was at work.
A period of unpaid leave does qualify as reckonable service for:
- Pay increments (future increments will be deferred by a period equivalent to the period).
- Any increase in annual leave entitlement.
- Long service award.
Alternative leave entitlements
1. Discretionary leave
Carer’s leave is different from discretionary leave. In circumstances of unexpected loss of, or disruption to, planned arrangements for a dependant discretionary leave may be requested to make contingency arrangements for the care of a dependent.
Discretionary Leave policy (PS 150) | Nottinghamshire Police.
In instances where carer’s leave is not applicable to the circumstance, individuals can consider utilising unpaid leave.
Individuals are encouraged to utilise the Flexible Working policy (PS 149) | Nottinghamshire Police where possible.
2. Parental leave
If the individual is a parent, they can take up to 18 weeks ordinary parental leave to look after their child. This is instead of or in addition to carer's leave. See Parental Leave policy (PS 154) | Nottinghamshire Police.
Practical support
Nottinghamshire Police and the OPCC want to create a culture that is supportive of carers. Each carer’s situation requires a different response. Staff with caring responsibilities should speak to their line manager so they can help you consider what would best support you to balance work with your caring responsibilities. This might include using flexi or TOIL. Line managers should create a workplace culture that is supportive of carers by encouraging individuals to make use of the support and existing policies offered to carers and encouraging discussion around carers’ issues.
Individuals can contact the Wellbeing Support Officers or visit the Health and Wellbeing intranet pages for further information.
Other organisations that can offer support are listed below:
Nottinghamshire Carers Association - https://nottinghamshirecarers.co.uk/
Carer’s UK - https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/
Carer’s Outreach - https://carersoutreach.org.uk/
NHS - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/
STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE COMPLIANCE
This document has been drafted to comply with the general and specific duties in the Equality Act 2010; GDPR 2018; Freedom of Information Act; European Convention of Human Rights; Employment Rights Act 1996; Employment Act 2002; Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, Employment Relations Act 1999, Carer’s Leave Act 2023; Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024, and other legislation relevant to policing.
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PS 322:
Carer's leave
Type of Document:
Policy
Version:
1.0
Registered Owner:
Claire Salter
Author/Reviewer:
Jasvir Ginda/Milena Pilek
Effective Date:
August 2024
Review Date:
August 2029
Linked Documents: