What carer’s leave is
Carer’s leave is up to one week of unpaid leave a year for employees caring for a dependant with long-term needs. It’s a day-one right (since 6 April 2024) you cannot refuse, only postpone. It was created by the Carer’s Leave Act 2023 and set out in detail by the Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024.
How much you have to give
One week, and a week means the employee’s normal working week — so a person who works three days a week gets three days, not five. The minimum block is half a working day, and the days need not be taken together. The point most guidance buries: the week is per employee per rolling 12-month period, not per dependant. An employee caring for two relatives still gets one week in total, not two.
A “dependant” with a “long-term care need” means a spouse, partner, child, parent, household member or anyone who relies on the employee for care who has an illness or injury needing care for more than three months, a disability under the Equality Act 2010, or care needs because of old age. You cannot ask for evidence of the care need — no doctor’s note, no proof of the relationship.
You can postpone, but you cannot refuse
The leave is unrefusable. Where granting it on the requested dates would cause serious disruption to the business, you may postpone it — but you must propose an alternative date within a month, agree it with the employee, and give the reason in writing. You cannot turn the request down, and you cannot treat the employee unfavourably or dismiss them for taking it; doing so would be automatically unfair. The notice an employee must give is twice the length of the leave requested, or three days, whichever is greater.
It is a floor, not a ceiling
This is the statutory minimum and it is unpaid. You may offer more — extra days, or paid carer’s leave — but you cannot offer less. For the question of pay specifically, see do we have to pay employees for carer’s leave?
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.