What the Act does
The Carer’s Leave Act 2023 creates a new statutory employment right in Great Britain: one working week (5 days) of unpaid leave per 12-month period, for any employee who provides or arranges care for a dependant with long-term care needs. The Act came into force on 6 April 2024, with detailed implementation rules set out in the Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024.
Who’s eligible
Every employee in Great Britain, from day one of employment. No qualifying service period. The right also protects employees against detriment or dismissal for exercising it.
What it covers
Care for a dependant (spouse, child, parent, household member, or person who reasonably relies on the employee for care) who has long-term care needs — defined as physical or mental illness or injury requiring care for more than three months, a disability under the Equality Act 2010, or care needs related to old age.
How leave is taken
Half-days or full days, up to the maximum of five working days in any rolling 12 months. Notice: twice the length of the leave or three days, whichever is greater. Employers cannot demand medical evidence. Employers can postpone leave on limited operational grounds, in which case leave must be re-arranged within one month.
Why it matters for employers
The Act formalises a right that many UK employers had been granting informally (or unevenly) under “dependants’ leave” or “compassionate leave” policies. It replaces line-manager discretion with a clear, day-one entitlement — meaning every handbook needs an updated clause and every line manager needs to know it exists. Employers that go beyond the statutory floor (e.g. paid carer’s leave on top) gain a meaningful retention edge for senior carer employees.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.