Employers for Carers (EfC) hosted its first hybrid member networking event on Tuesday 31 October at HSBC. The theme of the event was ‘Getting ready for the Carer’s Leave Act: Policy and practice'. The event was opened by Carers UK’s Chair, Nick Baird, who gave an update on new EfC members and Carer Confident employers.   

Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, followed with a brief overview about what the charity has been up to in recent months, including the annual State of Caring Survey, the support for carers through the helpline and a range of online sessions, and gearing up for the State of Caring Conference on 9 November. Helen also highlighted that Carers Rights Day was fast approaching on Thursday 23 November and the campaign theme will be Your rights, Today, tomorrow and in the future.

Three EfC members then shared what their organisations have been doing to support carers in the workplace, with an emphasis on policy and practice. We had speakers from hosts HSBC, Transport for London and Savills. It was interesting to hear from organisations who are not only in different sectors, but at very different stages of support for their working carers, and have varied approaches. Our EfC speakers, Nick Baird and Helen Walker all contributed to a panel discussion, where attendees posed questions regarding mandatory training for line managers, caring as a protected characteristic and capturing carer data.

Nick Baird wrapped up the event by thanking all who had attended, both in person and virtually.