Unpaid carers will be able to take five days unpaid leave to help with their responsibilities as a new Act comes into force today.

The Carer’s Leave Act coming into effect on April 6 allows more than 120,000 Welsh workers with unpaid caring roles to take five days off yearly.

The Act was implemented following the analysis of Census 2021 data by Carers Wales indicating approximately 98,000 people in full-time employment and 51,000 part-time workers in Wales are unpaid carers.

The statutory leave is expected to provide much-needed relief to those who tirelessly care for the elderly, disabled, or those with long-term health conditions.

This new law is even more significant since a Carers UK study revealed about 200 workers give up their jobs each day to care for a loved one due to a lack of flexibility.

Claire Morgan, director of Carers Wales, said: "The implementation of the Carer’s Leave Act means that more than 120,000 people in Wales who juggle employment with their caring role will benefit from some deserved flexibility."

She stated that being an unpaid carer takes a tremendous toll on people’s health, often robbing individuals of their identity or pushing them into poverty.

Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, celebrated the new legislation as a "huge step forward for millions of carers," affirming that it respects and acknowledges the invaluable role of carers and provides them with the right to ask for help from their employers.

Corporate entities have broadly welcomed this Act, including Centrica, the owner of British Gas.

Its group chief executive, Chris O’Shea, praised caregivers' admirable work and recognised how maintaining a job while caring can be an emotional and financial struggle.

He stated Centrica provides its working carers with paid leave, flexible work schedules, and a support network.

Notably, the new Act offers similar employment protection to carers as other forms of family-related leave, safeguarding them from dismissal as a result of having taken the leave.

Carers are allowed to take their leave as full or half days or as a continuous block of five days.

To ensure carers and employers are adequately informed about the Act's provisions, Carers Wales has developed new resources with relevant information and advice.

These resource guides aim to assist in seamless navigation through the new environment, ensuring statutory rights and duties are well understood.