Member

Amendment 144, also tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, would require employers with more than 250 employees to include within their gender equality action plans information on how they support unpaid carers in their workforce. We must not stop at simply getting carers into work; we must also ensure they are supported to stay in work. According to the census, nearly 1 million working-age unpaid carers have left employment because they could not manage their caring responsibilities alongside paid work. Carers UK research also shows that many of these individuals could have remained in employment if only they had received more support from their employer. That is why this amendment is not just sensible but necessary. Requiring transparency from large employers on carer support ensures accountability and progress, particularly when many unpaid carers are women and gender inequality remains persistent in the workplace.