Employees with caring responsibilities have a statutory right to take unpaid statutory carer’s leave from day one of their employment. This policy sets out the Company’s stance on employees taking time off for this purpose whilst ensuring the Company’s operations are not unduly affected. The term “dependant” for these purposes is prescribed in law and replicated in this policy. Employees will not be subject to detriment for taking carer’s leave.

🔏 Statutory Entitlement

You are entitled to take one working week of unpaid leave for carer’s leave per rolling 12-month period to provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need. You can request to take your entitlement in a continuous block or separate occurrences, but each occurrence must be at least one-half of your working day.

For these purposes, a week is based on the number of days you normally work in a week.

👛Automata’s Entitlement We know the physical and emotional toll looking after someone in need can be and we're committed to easing some of that burden by ensuring financial stability. That's why Automata will compensate you at your standard daily rate for the duration of your one-week carer's leave entitlement.

A dependent is defined as:

• spouse or civil partner
• child
• parent
• person who lives in the same household but is not a tenant, lodger, boarder or employee
• person who reasonably relies on you to provide or arrange care. This could be, eg an elderly neighbour.

A dependant has a long-term care need if:

• they have an illness or injury (whether physical or mental) that requires or is likely to require, care for more than three months
• they have a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010
• they require care for a reason connected with old age.

The Company recognises that people other than those listed above in relation to whom the statutory right applies may depend on you for assistance. Requests for time off in relation to these people should be made to your line manager and HR but these will be considered separately to requests for statutory carer’s leave and on a case-by-case basis.

You are not required to provide evidence of your eligibility in relation to a request for carer’s leave.

Employees who request or take time off under this policy for reasons other than those for which the statutory right to carer’s leave is intended may be subject to investigation and subsequent disciplinary proceedings.

👛Pay for time off

You are entitled to up to one working week of pay per rolling 12-month period. Any additional days required for carer’s leave will be unpaid.