Last Minute Ideas for Carers Rights Day 2021

It's less than one week until Carers Rights Day – Thursday 25^th November 2021! We know that lots of our Carer Positive employers will already have plans to mark the day with workplace activities, but in case you are struggling, or are just looking for some extra ideas, we have you covered.

Awareness
Building awareness about carers in the workplace is a great move for Carers Rights Day. Many people in your staff may have heard of carers, but do not have a clear definition of what they are, or even realise that they are carers themselves.

• Create a workplace definition of the word “carer” and publicise it to all members of staff. Remember to use terms like “looking after” or “helping” to help people see themselves in this role. For more advice on creating or improving upon your definition, check out this post.
• Highlight the organisation’s Carers Policy.
• Signpost to help. This could be by highlighting services offered by the local carers centre or online services such as online forums and advice.
• Look into training for managers and higher ups. A company policy is only as good as your managers who enforce it. Perhaps your organisation would benefit from additional manager training on carers and their needs.

Appreciation
It can be easy to concentrate on the additional support that carers may need in the workplace without appreciating that they are often very experienced and loyal members of staff who bring valuable transferrable skills to the workplace. Carers Rights Day can be a brilliant time to recognise the skills and hard work that your working carers bring to the organisation.

• Set up a carers group or organise an online or in-person meeting for carers in your organisation to catch up or suggest improvements to the organisation.
• Highlight a staff member who has made a contribution to the organisation while having caring responsibilities (with their permission of course).
• Organise a fun or relaxing activity for your working carers such as meditation, yoga or a Zoom singing session.

Depending on the nature of your place of work, these activities could be carried out in person or online. Whatever you do, please follow Covid19 guidelines and ensure participants feel safe for a successful event.