International food and drink group, Princes, is to go further than the UK requirement when the new Carers’ Leave Act comes into force on April 6. 

The Act entitles employees to one week of unpaid leave every 12 months, typically the equivalent of five days. This can be taken as individual or half days across the year or all at once. 

Princes has decided to provide carers with a more generous package – two weeks of leave annually, one week unpaid and one week paid. 

The policy being introduced by Princes follows consultation with colleagues who act as carers within their own families. 

This only applies to Princes colleagues in the UK. Colleagues at sites in Holland, Mauritius and Italy already have statutory provisions in place. 

Jennifer Gallagher, Senior Human Resources Business Partner, said: “The introduction of the Carers’ Leave Act is an important step forward that recognises unpaid carers in the workplace for the first time. 

“We know that many of our colleagues will benefit from this ground-breaking legislation, but as a business we felt that we should go further. Our stated ambition is to be an Employer of Choice and this means seeking ways to go further than the industry norm. 

“The decision to provide UK colleagues with two weeks’ of care leave in a 12-month period aligns with our Colleague Value Proposition, and our determination to be a people-focussed, inclusive company.  

“A key part of our Health and Wellbeing strategy is supporting our colleagues when they need us most and we know that caring responsibilities can have a detrimental effect on a carer’s own health and wellbeing. 

“It is also an example of how we bring our values to life in a practical way that makes a difference to the working and personal lives of our colleagues.  

“Importantly, the policy that we have announced was shaped as a direct result of input from colleagues who are carers to members of their own families.” 

Under the Act, the right to take carers’ leave begins from day one of employment and can be taken by the employee to “provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need”.  

Employees will have to give at least three days’ notice to take leave or, for a request of more than one day, double as long as the requested leave. This is separate to any emergencies that arise.  

The Act covers dependants who require care for an illness or injury that means they are likely to need care for more than three months, or for a disability, or those who require care because of old age. 

According to Carers UK, one in seven people in the workplace in the UK are juggling work with caring responsibilities. 

Princes also plans to roll out several other carer-related initiatives including a carers’ network, appointing a Carers Champion and celebrating Carers’ Rights Day on November 23. Further details about these activities will be shared during the year. 

About Princes 

With a global supply network, a portfolio of household favourite brands and a leading position in the manufacture of customer own label products, Princes is one of the UK’s largest food and drink groups.   

Established as a seafood importing business in 1880, Princes specialises in sourcing and manufacturing quality products, with a vision to “Proudly offer great tasting choices for everyone, without costing the Earth”. As a leading international grocery supplier, millions of consumers across the UK and Europe enjoy Princes Group brands and products every day. 

Headquartered in its original home city of Liverpool, Princes Group operates seven manufacturing sites in and around the UK, producing food, edible oils and soft drinks. The company also operates international facilities for processing tomatoes (Italy), tuna (Mauritius) and oils (Poland), with commercial sites across the globe.  

Princes manufactures hundreds of different food and drink products under private label and the Group’s owned brands. These include the iconic Princes brand, Napolina, the UK’s number one Italian cooking brand, and British soup producer, Crosse & Blackwell, among others.  

The Group also manufactures and distributes branded products under licence, such as Branston Beans, Olivio oil and Swizzles squash. Princes sources quality ingredients from over 40 countries, works with 600 raw material suppliers and employs around 7,000 people around the world.