In fact, three million people in the UK are combining paid work with an unpaid caring role. For these people, juggling these multiple responsibilities can be extremely stressful and, ultimately, one in five of them will have to take the difficult step of giving up work.

Until recently, too few people – even people who were themselves a carer – understood what the term carer meant. Yet care is something that will affect us all and has always existed in our society. In
the past, it was hidden away, something done mainly by women
at home, ignored by policy-makers and the media.

But now caring is high on the political agenda, and carers have
won the right to more support than ever. This is essential since more people will be required to care in the future as our population ages. Elderly and disabled people want to stay
in their own homes and live independently and may need support from their families as well as from public services.

Yet at the same time as we will be called on to care, our economy is facing skills shortages and the Government is asking people to work longer to collect their pension. The need for the UK to remain competitive in the global economy and at the same time manage the support our elderly relatives need is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century.

A few weeks ago saw the first anniversary of the latest right that carers fought for and won – the right to request flexible working from
their employer.

This ground-breaking right gave nearly three million carers in the UK the opportunity to ask their employer to vary the way they work. That could be the number of hours, the place they work or the sort of work they are doing. The employer must seriously consider the request and can only turn it down if it would damage their business.

This new law was an important milestone as it was the first recognition that employers also have a role to play in helping people to balance their multiple responsibilities.

With Gordon Brown announcing later this spring a new national strategy for carers, part of which will seek to offer more support for carers in this particular area, it's time employers asked themselves if they are doing enough.

Although many employers were "carer-friendly" before the introduction of this new right, it came as a shock to many who weren't
used to talking to employees about caring responsibilities and had no idea how many carers they had in their workforce.

From the analysis we've done of the 2001 Census, we know that around one in seven working people is a carer. Around half of them work full-time and the peak age for caring is 45-64, when many employees will have gained valuable skills and be employed in senior positions.

Unfortunately, a year on, I fear many, both employers and employees, are still unaware of the new law. This is a crying shame, since the alternative for carers can be as drastic as having to give up their jobs altogether, often leading to poverty and isolation.

Many employers now realise that providing support and flexibility to employees who are carers is paid back in their loyalty and productivity. Far from taking advantage of any flexibility, carers often give back a huge amount of energy and commitment.

Furthermore, research with employers has shown that those who support carers in their workforce have lower staff turnover, reduced recruitment and retraining costs, improved productivity and reduced absenteeism.

To help employers understand what support carers need, we worked with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, ACAS, British Chambers of Commerce and British Gas to create a range
of materials which are available on our website.

As well as asking employers to do more, we want the Government
to improve the support available to carers in other areas. We want
to see the benefits system reformed so that those carers who can't work aren't forced to live in poverty. Carers also need better care services to provide reliable and flexible back-up. Finally, carers
need help to look after their own health by having a break when they need it and getting support from their own GP.

I believe that caring for elderly and disabled people is a
responsibility shared by our whole society. Since it may happen to any one of us, it is in all our interests to make life easier for carers, so that families no longer face that awful choice between giving support to someone who needs it and keeping their job.


Imelda Redmond is chief executive of Carers UK.
If you are a carer seeking advice, call free on 0808 808 7777 or visit www.carersuk.org