4.5 million people took on additional caring responsibilities during the pandemic

National Carers Week, run by Carers UK, estimated that 4.5 million of us have taken on additional caring responsibilities during the pandemic, whether that's looking after kids who are off school, supporting a partner or elderly dependents, or helping the vulnerable in our communities

This means there has never been a better time for employers to be thinking about how to improve support for those juggling work with caring. Here are five ways you can help.

Even before the pandemic, loneliness and anxiety were real issues for carers, with carers likely to be seven times lonelier than the general public, according to Carers UK. Stress, burnout and exhaustion are other key problems, an issue exacerbated during the crisis by the fact care and respite services have often been reduced or closed.

Employers have also increasingly recognised the growing numbers of so-called 'sandwich carers' – employees who have caring responsibilities alongside their work, something that has grown during lockdown.

Given these numbers, building workplaces that are visibly supportive for all staff, including those who are, or may become, carers is good employment practice and good business sense.

For example, the charity Age UK has calculated that carers dropping out of the workforce costs the economy some £5.3bn a year in lost earnings. This is precisely the sort of talent drain employers can ill afford as we head into challenging economic waters.

Positioning yourself as carer-friendly can be done through introducing supportive policies and procedures as well as signposting to practical support and advice. Don't forget, too, that employees now have a legal 'right to request' to work flexibly, which may be used to accommodate caring responsibilities. It is a good idea therefore to communicate how employees can do this, how it works, but also downsides (for example a reduced pension).

It is imperative carers are not 'out of sight, out of mind', especially those who may now be working remotely or from home alongside their caring responsibilities.

Employers have of course been on a very steep learning curve generally during the large-scale shift towards home working we've seen during lockdown. This has been especially in terms of learning how to manage, support and engage remote workers, whether carers or not.

As the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has advised, if anything, employers need to communicate more, and more regularly, with remote workers. It has recommended, for example, putting in place 'virtual huddles', making time for social as well as work conversations, listening to what employees are actually saying, and (though more difficult down a video link) trying to read between the lines.

This sort of support is doubly important for those who, swan-like, are trying to juggle remote working with caring responsibilities. It is imperative managers, for example, think about and build in flexibility around things such as the timetabling of meetings or expectations around answering emails or meeting deadlines.

Bear in mind, however, the 'obvious' solution may not always be the right one. For example, a well-meaning gesture such as banning out-of-hours emails may put someone with caring responsibilities under greater pressure because they feel unable to catch up outside of caring.

Alongside clear procedures and policies, be proactive around health and wellbeing support, such as EAPs, mental health first aid, health insurance and occupational health. "Support around financial wellbeing - for example that carers know about and maximise state benefits such as the Carer's Allowance - is important, too" explains WPA's Mark Southern.

"Equally, making it clear that, as an employer, you support and encourage employees to take the time off they need to attend GP or hospital appointments, whether for themselves or their dependent, can be a valuable weight off a carer's mind," he says.

It is only natural that, when you're caring for someone, your priorities and aspirations in life - both personal and professional - may change or adjust. It may be, for example, that your caring responsibilities eventually become so great you have no option but to give up work. That happens, and it will be a loss to your organisation.

But, equally, there may come a time when those commitments reduce. Employers that recognise this, and are open to talking to a caring employee about their medium- and longer-term aspirations as well as their short-term needs, may, somewhat counter-intuitively, find themselves managing a cohort of increasingly loyal and dedicated carer workers.

You can do this through regular appraisals and mid-career 'MOTs'. As Business in the Community argues: "Mid-life MOTs help to identify different ways in which employers can act to retain older workers. These might include flexible hours or working at home, support during life-changing events such as becoming a carer, and helping managers to adopt a more age-inclusive approach."

Ultimately, the message here is that an employer who puts in place visible, practical and well-communicated support structures and is proactive about being there for an employee throughout their caring 'journey' will, in all likelihood, get their gratitude, engagement and loyalty back by the bucket load.

And that is great business sense as well as simply being the right thing to do.

Nic Paton is one of the country's foremost journalists on workplace health, safety and wellbeing, and is editor of Occupational Health & Wellbeing magazine. He also regularly writes on the health and employee benefits and health insurance markets.