Carer Positive and Carers Scotland
Over 400,000 employees are now working in organisations proud to call themselves “Carer Positive” employers in Scotland.
With as many as 1 in 8 of the workforce estimated to be juggling work with caring responsibilities, employers are increasingly recognising the need to support and retain employees who are carers.
Carer Positive aims to raise awareness of the growing number of carers in the workforce, and to award recognition to those employers with good practice in supporting these employees.
Launched by the Scottish Government in June 2014, employers of all sizes and across all sectors are taking part and those already awarded include local authorities, health boards and other public bodies; utility companies; further and higher education institutions; and a range of voluntary sector organisations and private companies.
One of the key messages behind the award is that supporting employees who are carers makes good business sense.
The benefits to employers of having ‘carer friendly’ policies and working practices can include reduced levels of stress and sickness absence, lower recruitment and training costs, increased staff retention, morale and productivity levels.
It is free to participate, and the self-assessment process is designed to be clear, straightforward, and not too time consuming.
Carers Scotland provides support and advice to help employers develop appropriate support within their organisations. A further range of information resources include a best practice booklet and policy examples, employer videos and other useful information sources.
Visit our website to see the latest list of Carer Positive organisations, and to access free information and resources: http://www.carerpositive.org/
