Councillor Thompson to move:

This Council notes:

1        The growing care crisis in our country. There are over two million employees (Family Resources Survey 2019-2020) who provide unpaid care to friends and family. This care may include personal care, arranging medical and social support, or attending appointments. As the population ages and with more people staying in work longer, these numbers will only increase;

2        The pressure on residents as they balance their work with caring for loved ones. Carers are often required to use their own annual leave allowances to meet their caring responsibilities, risking burn out.

This Council believes that more action is needed to support people in work who have caring responsibilities.

This Council proposes to support the Carer’s Leave Bill being brought through Parliament by Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain MP which will, for the first time, create a statutory entitlement to unpaid leave for employees with caring responsibilities.

1        The objective of the Bill is to support carers in balancing work and their caring responsibilities and employers in maximising the retention and wellbeing of staff.

2        The Bill entitles staff to take up to one week’s unpaid leave per year. They will be able to take their leave flexibly in small amounts – from half days up to one week, The entitlement applies to all employees regardless of length of service, effectively starting from day one of employment.

3        The Bill clearly defines eligibility for the leave, taking a broad approach to reflect the wide range of caring relationships and responsibilities.

This Council resolves to:

1        To ask the Chief Executive to write to our two local MPs urging them to support the Carer’s Leave Bill;

2        To ask its officers to review its own communications and support for local advice services for carers to determine what further support can be given locally.

Pursuant to Notice, a motion was moved by Councillor Thompson and seconded by Councillor Moore.

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Terry and seconded by Councillor Brock and CARRIED:

‘Delete all after “This Council” in the first line of the fourth paragraph and insert the following:

“also notes that it has a long record of working, in concert with trade union colleagues, to provide terms and conditions of employment that consider the needs of our diverse workforce. Reading Borough Council provides the following terms and guidance in support of staff with caring responsibilities:

Mangers should work with the employee (with support and advice from HR) to find a solution which recognises that employees may have caring responsibilities (of different types) but want to continue working.  The options are:

Flexible working

This can take different forms: for example, working compressed hours (working longer days but will total the same number of contracted hours) or working part-time (working fewer contracted hours).  This is a permanent change to the employee's contract.

Flexi-time 

Allows the employee to vary their hours around the Council's core working times (10am - 12pm and 2pm-4pm).  The employee can work extra hours and use them later to take time off work as flexi-leave.  A maximum of 10 hours can be taken within the flexi-time period (which is usually four weeks).  Surplus hours can be rolled over to the next four-week period, provided that the 10 hour maximum is not exceeded.

Compassionate Leave 

This applies to all employees regardless of their length of service.  Caring is considered to be broad and the employee does not need to be a registered or paid carer.  A maximum of 5 days' paid leave, in each year, can be requested to care for dependants.  Caring responsibility includes accompanying a dependant (or a dependant with a disability) to an appointment, caring for a sick dependant and where there is disrupted care or an emergency related to school.

Paid bereavement leave is also available for employees, if the need arises.

Severe personal problems

The employee can also request up to a maximum of five days paid leave if there are significant serious circumstances (for example, serious financial issues).

Managers should be mindful of individual circumstances including those which arise due to faith or cultural practices.

Remote working 

The employee may work remotely, service needs permitting.

Term time contracts

Employees have set annual leave times, but the manager should explore if working a week (or days) outside of term time is possible.

Unpaid leave 

This should not be the first option (especially given the difficulties with rising costs), but may be considered

It may be appropriate to take annual leave, flexi leave, or unpaid leave or a combination of those depending on the circumstances.  Managers are encouraged to explore all different options and contact HR for support and advice.

For staff on term time only contracts who are not eligible for annual leave, as this is included within their weeks per year, management can explore the staff member working an additional week or day(s) outside of term time in order to take time off while school is in session; they also can access all of the above.

The Council notes that the Carer’s Leave Bill currently making its way through parliament seeks to create a statutory entitlement to unpaid leave for employees with caring responsibilities. It welcomes the fact the Reading Borough Council has already made this option available to Council employees for some time now and has no objection to this becoming a statutory right, but would encourage all employers to consider the wide range of options set out above which provide much more flexible support to staff with caring responsibilities whilst maintaining Council services.

This Council resolves to:

1         To ask the Chief Executive to write to our two local MPs urging them to support the Carer’s Leave Bill, observing that this Bill already has cross-party support;

2         Note the wide range of support already available to council employees;

3.       Note the services available to unpaid carers in Reading, as set out in the Reading Services Guide (servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/adult.page?adultchannel=5).”’

The amended substantive motion was then put to the vote and CARRIED as follows:

Resolved –

This Council notes:

1   The growing care crisis in our country. There are over two million employees (Family Resources Survey 2019-2020) who provide unpaid care to friends and family. This care may include personal care, arranging medical and social support, or attending appointments. As the population ages and with more people staying in work longer, these numbers will only increase;

2   The pressure on residents as they balance their work with caring for loved ones. Carers are often required to use their own annual leave allowances to meet their caring responsibilities, risking burn out.

This Council believes that more action is needed to support people in work who have caring responsibilities.

This Council also notes that it has a long record of working, in concert with trade union colleagues, to provide terms and conditions of employment that consider the needs of our diverse workforce. Reading Borough Council provides the following terms and guidance in support of staff with caring responsibilities:

Mangers should work with the employee (with support and advice from HR) to find a solution which recognises that employees may have caring responsibilities (of different types) but want to continue working.  The options are:

Flexible working

This can take different forms: for example, working compressed hours (working longer days but will total the same number of contracted hours) or working part-time (working fewer contracted hours).  This is a permanent change to the employee's contract.

Flexi-time

Allows the employee to vary their hours around the Council's core working times (10am - 12pm and 2pm-4pm).  The employee can work extra hours and use them later to take time off work as flexi-leave.  A maximum of 10 hours can be taken within the flexi-time period (which is usually four weeks).  Surplus hours can be rolled over to the next four-week period, provided that the 10 hour maximum is not exceeded.

Compassionate Leave

This applies to all employees regardless of their length of service.  Caring is considered to be broad and the employee does not need to be a registered or paid carer.  A maximum of 5 days' paid leave, in each year, can be requested to care for dependants.  Caring responsibility includes accompanying a dependant (or a dependant with a disability) to an appointment, caring for a sick dependant and where there is disrupted care or an emergency related to school.

Paid bereavement leave is also available for employees, if the need arises.

Severe personal problems

The employee can also request up to a maximum of five days paid leave if there are significant serious circumstances (for example, serious financial issues.

Managers should be mindful of individual circumstances including those which arise due to faith or cultural practices.

Remote working 

The employee may work remotely, service needs permitting.

Term time contracts

Employees have set annual leave times, but the manager should explore if working a week (or days) outside of term time is possible.

Unpaid leave 

This should not be the first option (especially given the difficulties with rising costs), but may be considered.

It may be appropriate to take annual leave, flexi leave, or unpaid leave or a combination of those depending on the circumstances.  Managers are encouraged to explore all different options and contact HR for support and advice.

For staff on term time only contracts who are not eligible for annual leave, as this is included within their weeks per year, management can explore the staff member working an additional week or day(s) outside of term time in order to take time off while school is in session; they also can access all of the above.

The Council notes that the Carer’s Leave Bill currently making its way through parliament seeks to create a statutory entitlement to unpaid leave for employees with caring responsibilities. It welcomes the fact the Reading Borough Council has already made this option available to Council employees for some time now and has no objection to this becoming a statutory right, but would encourage all employers to consider the wide range of options set out above which provide much more flexible support to staff with caring responsibilities whilst maintaining Council services.

This Council resolves to:

1         To ask the Chief Executive to write to our two local MPs urging them to support the Carer’s Leave Bill, observing that this Bill already has cross-party support;

2         Note the wide range of support already available to council employees;

3.       Note the services available to unpaid carers in Reading, as set out in the Reading Services Guide (servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/adult.page?adultchannel=5).