’Why Carers Leave is important to me’

Amanda Pennycook (Tait), Team Leader in our Pensions team in Edinburgh, has been caring for her elderly mother for the past four years whilst juggling her role and personal life. Her mother is in the latter stages of dementia, and over the past few years, Amanda has played a significant role in assisting her, from taking her to the hospital to everyday necessities like cooking and cleaning.

Amanda first heard about the benefits of Carers Leave when Diageo launched its own Policy for GB employees in April this year. Hear from Amanda about why Carers Leave was so important to her, her mother, as well as her team.

Was it challenging caring for your mother before taking Carers Leave?

It was incredibly challenging. The obvious issue is the lack of time, trying to juggle my work but also the various responsibilities that come with caring for my mother, whether that’s taking her to appointments, sorting legal matters, or just looking after her at home. I constantly felt like I was letting my line manager and team down, requesting days and half-days at short notice and asking them to cover for me. My line manager is amazing and has always been 100% supportive when giving me the time to help Mum, but I still felt guilty and would find myself working until 8, 9, 10 pm to catch up on work. I had no time for myself anymore.

Something I don’t think everyone appreciates is the mental strain that caring can have on the carer. I was in a constant state of double guilt; when I was with Mum I wanted to be working, and when I was working, I felt like I needed to be with Mum. Caring for someone you love is so important, but it is tiring, especially on top of a full-time job. You need support.

What benefits has the Policy given you?

This initiative has blown me away, not only has it allowed me to provide better care for my Mum, but it has helped me feel happier, both at work and with Mum. I’ve stopped feeling like I constantly let my team down, and I don’t feel anxious telling my line manager when I won’t be in the office. I’m now able to schedule time during the working week for appointments. I can go to these knowing I have the full support of Diageo, and I am not constantly thinking about how soon I can be back to work. This allows me to focus on work when I’m in the office, and when I’m with I can focus on her, not rushing to get it over.

Taking Carers Leave has meant I get more quality time with Mum. I schedule caring appointments during my set leave time, meaning that during non-working time, the time I spend with Mum is quality. This allows me to focus solely on Mum and being her daughter, not her carer. Given where she is in life, I think that is so important.

This Policy is a benefit that you can’t buy. It’s like having somebody constantly sat beside you to support you, and a way of Diageo saying that it’s okay to take time out to care for loved ones. No one feels bad about taking holiday leave, and this should be the same.

Had you heard of Carers Leave before?

I wasn’t aware a Policy like this could be offered by a company, and speaking with friends and family it’s apparent that statutory care leave isn’t an obvious company benefit. Whether that’s because companies don’t advertise it, or they just don’t offer it, I think businesses need to do more to make this sort of thing obvious. With my specific circumstance, most of us will get to an age when something like this will happen with parents, so it’s so important to know policies like this exist.

Diageo’s Carers Leave Policy

Earlier this year, the UK Government introduced legislation for all companies to have at least one week’s unpaid Carers Leave.

At Diageo, we’re determined to adopt a proactive approach to supporting our people with caring responsibilities, with it an important part of Diageo’s goal to build the most inclusive and diverse culture. That is why Diageo introduced its Carers Policy, enhancing the Government’s statutory position by offering our employees in GB the option to take two weeks paid leave to care for, or arrange care, for dependents.

We’re confident that our Policy, with plans to extend globally, will improve the support available to Diageo employees, mitigate the financial strains that are sadly common with caregiving, and raise awareness of this important topic.