This National Carers Week the Minns Labor Government is encouraging workplaces to take up accreditation under the Carers + Employers program, to help more carers enter the workforce and ensure those already employed are provided with appropriate support.
NSW has more than 950,000 carers who provide ongoing, unpaid care and support to a family member, neighbour or friend who lives with disability, terminal illness, chronic illness, mental illness or aging.
The 2024 National Carer Survey found 35.8 per cent of carers in NSW would like to see changes in their job type or work structure to better balance employment with caring.
Accredited employers uphold best practice standards in supporting staff with caring responsibilities. This can include flexible working arrangements, fostering a supportive culture where carers feel comfortable discussing their needs and providing training to managers on challenges carers face and workplace policies available to support them.
There are three levels of accreditation that can be achieved:
- Activate: Organisations that are beginning to develop carer-friendly workplace policies and practices
- Commit: Organisations are building on Level 1 accreditation by providing clear actions and pathways to improve carer-friendly workplace practices
- Excel: The highest level of accreditation for workplaces that have embedded carer-friendly workplace practices.
Since 2018, 21 organisations nationally have been accredited under the program with an increasing number of employers working towards embedding innovative strategies across their organisation to progress to higher levels of accreditation.
Over half are NSW-based, with the NSW Government's strong support of the program reflected in high uptake of accreditation by its departments and agencies.
Other simple steps that workplaces can take to support employees with caring responsibilities include recognising carers as a distinct group in policies and procedures to make it easy for them to find out what support is available, or connecting carers to relevant workplace policies and supports.
Support for carers and employers can be found at the new Carers + Employment Hub, a centralised access point for information and resources to help carers successfully balance their caring responsibilities and work duties, and employers seeking to support carers in their workforce.
The Hub also features an interactive Carer Skills Matching Tool to help carers identify potential career pathways.
The NSW Government is committed to carer-friendly workplaces under the NSW Carers Strategy: Caring in NSW 2020-2030, with key priorities and actions to be implemented listed under the Second Action Plan. Delivering the Carers + Employers accreditation program is Action 15 and establishing the Carers + Employment Hub is Action 18 under the Action Plan.
Minister with responsibility for Carers Jodie Harrison said:
"National Carers Week is an opportunity to recognise and highlight the contribution of more than 950,000 carers in NSW who deliver hundreds of millions of hours of unpaid care for family members and friends each year.
"Caring for a family member or friend is an enormous commitment and requires extraordinary strength.
"Employers can support carers with policies and programs that help them balance work and caring responsibilities. Accreditation under the Carers + Employers program sets organisations on a path to becoming an employer of choice for carers.
"It's also important for carers to look after their own health and wellbeing, and know that support is available if they need it. This includes the new Carers + Employment Hub with online videos, tools and a range of free, online resources to support carers."
CEO of Carers NSW Elena Katrakis said:
"With 1 in 9 people in NSW identifying as carers, caring responsibilities will affect almost every worker at some stage in their career.
"More organisations are engaging with the Carers + Employers accreditation program, creating more carer-friendly workplaces across the state.
"Employers recognise the importance of supporting the many carers in our workforce who need support with their caring responsibilities.
