Care leave is not popular with workers

Workers are making little use of care leave, according to a report published on Tuesday by the government’s social policy agency SCP and quoted by news agency Novum.

In 2009, 2% of the workforce took leave of up to two weeks to care for a family member. Just 1% took a longer period of care leave.
Four out of ten of those needing care leave did not take it because of pressure of work, says the SCP.
Just 10% took parental leave to care for children up to the age of eight, the report shows. And 11% wanted to take parental leave but said adverse financial consequences and pressure of work stopped them from doing so.
The SCP, which questioned 70,000 people, says the low uptake is mainly because people think they are indispensible to their employer.