Home > News > 86% of carers are not aware of their civil service employer complying with new regulations, FDA report finds

86% of carers are not aware of their civil service employer complying with new regulations, FDA report finds

,

To mark Carers Week, the FDA have published a new report, Changing Perceptions: Helping carers in the civil service reach their potential, which uses the experiences of our members with caring responsibilities to understand the working lives of carers in the civil service and highlight the barriers they face.

While this new report finds a number of areas of improvements since we last surveyed members with caring responsibilities in 2020, it also identifies a number of issues that civil service employers can help to address. This includes making sure all departments have updated their carers leave policy to comply with the new Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024. 86% of respondents were not aware of policy changes following the new regulations.

Changing perceptions uses an FDA survey from 2025, which received over 200 responses from civil servants with caring responsibilities. The survey paints a diverse and complex picture of carers and the work they do. Anyone can hold caring responsibilities, which can range from practical support, to help with mobility, to emotional support.

This highlights another barrier raised in the report – respondents struggling to overcoming the preconceptions of managers and colleagues about carers. Some male respondents to our survey commented that they had struggled to get flexibilities agreed as it was not expected that they would be carers, and they found it difficult to convince their employer of their responsibilities.

Younger carers also reported encountering disbelief that they have caring responsibilities. While the majority of our respondents were in the 40-59 age group, over 10% of respondents were in their 20s and 30s.

Making progress

One key area of positive change is the increase in the awareness and uptake of carers’ passports. In 2025 86% of respondents knew about the Carer’s Passport, up from 71% who had heard of it in 2020.

In our 2020/21 report we recommended that there be wider publicity for and take up of the Carer’s Passport. This document allows carers and their managers to record the adjustments or flexibilities needed for a carer to balance their work with their caring responsibilities.

In the five years since our last survey there has been wider recognition and uptake of the Carer’s Passport amongst respondents, including a greater willingness to talk to line managers about how to fill out the passport. There has also been an increase in the number of respondents having all their flexibilities agreed as part of the passport process – 80% in 2025 compared to 59 % in 2020.

It is great to hear that some carers have managers who understand their caring responsibilities and support the flexibilities needed. The FDA wants to see this approach to carers as a model for managers across the civil service.

Another area of change in the last five years is the new carer’s leave regulations introduced following The Carer’s Leave Act (2023). The Carer’s Leave Act covers employees in England, Wales and Scotland and introduced:

  • Entitlement to one week’s unpaid leave per year if providing or arranging care for someone with a long-term care need.
  • The option to take leave flexibly (in half or full days) for planned caring commitments.
  • Entitlement available from the first day of employment.
  • The same employment protections for employees as other forms of family-related leave, including protection from dismissal.

In our survey we were keen to see whether there has been any effect on the working lives of carers in the civil service from the Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024. However, most of our respondents had not heard about any changes.

As part of the FDA’s research, we reviewed departmental policies and observed that there are differences in how carers are informed of their rights and what is available to them. Some policies even fail to refer to carers’ statutory rights and not been updated since the introduction of new legislation. We will be contacting departments where updates are needed as clear information on carers’ rights is vital for both carers and their managers.

Recommendations

To keep making progress, our report makes new recommendations:

  • Employers where staff are required to travel overseas, such as FCDO, should take carers into account in equality impact assessments, and support carers whose circumstances change by providing support such as supported permanent or temporary transition from diplomatic service to home career civil service. Where short visits abroad are required, employers should offer sufficient advance notice to allow planning for caring cover.
  • Employers should continue to promote the Carer’s Passport and have training and support for line managers to implement policies consistently. Support and advice for line managers on managing carers should be part of any management training and guides.
  • All employers should have clear policies and procedures for Carer’s Leave, either as a separate policy or a separate section of another policy, such as Leave or Special Leave. The policy should set out a carer’s statutory rights. Employers should aim to provide at least 5 days of paid carer’s leave (pro rata), where that does not already apply, in addition to the statutory requirement of 5 days of unpaid leave for carers.
  • All employers should review the 60% office attendance mandate. Reviews should be carried out with a view to creating a more flexible approach which considers whether a piece of work can be best completed in person or remotely, rather than a blanket mandate.
  • All employers should routinely assess whether higher graded jobs and promotion opportunities can be advertised as job shares, or for remote or hybrid working to support carers and other employees with need for flexibility.
  • Employers where staff or trainees work on placements and/or have significant UK travel as part of their roles, such as the Fast Stream, should make sure that carers are considered in reviews of placements to make sure there are meaningful roles available in the same or similar locations.

Overall, the FDA wants to see a shift in workplace perceptions around who is a carer and the true potential and capabilities of carers. There are some examples from our survey of excellent management practices and opportunities offered to carers. However, many of our respondents feel held back in their careers as they have had to reject career progression as they feel unsupported to work full-time, or worry about applying for new opportunities as the support available to them is not clear.

Carers are valuable members of staff with a multitude of skills which are useful both in their caring responsibilities and in the workplace. With support from employers, experienced and dedicated staff can unlock their talents to the benefit of all. Employers risk wasting potential by not supporting their employees with caring responsibilities to progress.

Guidance for members

The report also features a practical guide to support the pursuit of our recommendations, which can be used by carers navigating balancing their caring responsibilities and their careers, and workplace representatives can also use these resources to negotiate change and make improvements to policy locally. You can also find the guidance in the member portal.

Find Out More >

Luna Frank-Riley

Carer and FDA member in DSIT

My son was born with complex needs due to cerebral palsy, and I am his primary carer. Since joining the Civil Service, I have held a Carer Passport, which has been instrumental in building open, trusting relationships with line managers. It has helped them understand how caring responsibilities are managed at home, the associated pressures, and where flexibility is most needed. 

When Morgan was hospitalised in 2024 and later discharged on palliative care, the Carer Passport enabled me to access paid leave at a critical time. As a result, I have been better able to balance my professional responsibilities with my caring role, continuing to meet business needs while providing consistent care at home. 

I strongly encourage colleagues who are caring for a loved one to obtain a Carer Passport and to have an open, constructive conversation with their line manager. This shared understanding can make a meaningful difference to wellbeing, work–life balance, and sustained performance at work.

Liz Drake

Carer and FDA member in FCDO

Anyone can become a carer at any time, and I know from experience how life-changing that can be.

Caring for my 12-year-old autistic daughter has meant years of stress, uncertainty, meetings, paperwork, turning myself into a lawyer, appointments and fighting for the support she needs – all while continuing to lead and deliver in my role at work. I have been fortunate to have support, including a Carer’s Passport, but that should not depend on individual circumstances or goodwill.

Continuing to improve paid carers’ leave, including offering more paid days, would make a real difference by giving carers the space to manage crises and appointments without added financial or professional pressure, and would help more people stay well and succeed at work. The survey findings show why change is still urgently needed.

Latest news