At the National Centre for Atmospheric Science we know it’s important to talk about the support required for people with caring responsibilities. It might not be until you find yourself applying the word “caregiver” to yourself or someone close to you that you discover what support is needed and what meaningful actions your colleagues can take. We asked staff to share their experiences and insights.

Caring responsibilities can affect careers, professional relationships, and opportunities differently. Colleagues share their personal experiences of reduced travel, slower progression, and difficult trade-offs. They also highlight the value of workplace flexibility, supportive managers, and changing attitudes that make it easier to balance work and care today than in the past.

“I went part-time when our first child was born 17 years ago and have remained the same ever since. This has really helped with the additional caring responsibilities, especially when our second child was born, who has multiple additional needs and health conditions. The additional caring responsibilities have definitely impacted career choices, and reoriented our priorities. Overseas conferences are very challenging now, practically impossible during the winter months. I have to think hard about whether travelling to meetings is useful or not, given the large logistical impact it has at home,” echoes Dr Dan Hodson.

“One adjustment that was immediate to me after becoming a parent two years ago was how often colleagues would mention that they’ll work on something during evenings or over weekends, and I would have to say that I cannot do the same. It’s still quite common to be sent something late on a Friday that’s needed for the following Monday. I have noticed that my own colleagues do this kind of thing far less, so I think people are more cognisant of the issue generally,” says Dr Alexander Baker.

“Generally speaking, caring means that I have to have much stricter work hours in the office. It has also meant that I’ve been less available for fieldwork and conferences, and social activities with colleagues, in particular drinks after work. It’s also caused me to pivot my general activities from fieldwork to lab work,” agrees Dr James Allan.

“One very specific example was that I was in line for the role of chief scientist on a couple of research cruises, which was a big career advancement opportunity, but then the due date of my first child meant that I wasn’t able to do this because I couldn’t afford to be stuck on a ship around that period. This role had to go to someone else,” he continues.

Lisa Banton, Head of People, EDI & Workforce Development, reflects on their challenges across the years:

“I have had a number of employers over the years, most of whom have been supportive and flexible in relation to the challenges of caring and working. Despite this, and having a great partner, the pressures of caring for a sick child or meeting school expectations in terms of attending plays and fundraisers can be a logistical nightmare. On top of this child, care providers won’t take kids with more than a slight sniffle, requiring you to take time off work. School hours present further issues. I recall looking at primary schools and asking about after school provision to be told by the headteacher ’they should be at home with you.’ In 2008, I tried working four days a week instead of full time when my youngest was still at nursery, but I only managed this for nine months. I felt pressured into delivering five days of work in four and decided it wasn’t worth it. When my son was a teenager, he really struggled with school and this caused further challenges. He went through the process of an assessment for autism, which took almost two years and required lots of meetings with health and educational professionals. He attended four high schools by the time he was 16.”

“Now my parents are ageing and need some support, but at least my kids are no longer at school. I have benefitted from the carers leave at the University of Leeds and support from my NCAS line manager. I appreciate the autonomy and flexibility I have in my current role as Head of People, and I’m keen to hear about the experiences of other colleagues who are carers to make sure that we are doing the best we can,” she continues.

“I had a senior role at NERC HQ, in a role that I loved, and I’d gone through the merit promotion and been promoted a few years before having a baby in 2009. My husband was based in Exeter, so I naturally moved there to be a family. I took maternity leave for a year, but tried to stay in contact with my workplace. When I started to talk about coming back to my role, I was told that I would need to be in Swindon most of the time, that I would need to do the role full-time and that I couldn’t share the role with another person. Even though I’d had a long career in various roles with NERC, they struggled to find me a role that I could do part-time remotely. In the end, I found a role through a female colleague after a few months that I did happily and competently for a couple of years until I was made redundant by NERC. I have to say that I felt really undervalued,” shares Hazel Jeffery.

“Since I’ve been at NCAS, my manager is much more flexible and open-minded, he trusts me to get on and manage my responsibilities. I’m able to manage my time and work around school drop-offs and pick-ups and unforeseen days where my child needs to be at home. I’ve not always been able to go to European project meetings when my meetings clash with my husband’s meetings, but online/hybrid meetings have provided some consolation,” she continues.

“I have had to turn down jobs and opportunities due to childcare responsibilities. In the UK, I found it difficult to find a community at work regarding shared experiences with childcare. When I worked in Germany, there was a lot more understanding when I had to do emergency pick-ups from nursery, and there were many events where children were welcome and catered for too. I generally disclose only when necessary, as I have had experiences where I was shut out of conversation or a decision made for me about a career opportunity/fieldwork. Flexible working hours and being able to work from home allow me to manage my “spoons” and work more effectively.” – anonymous

Colleagues have made adjustments to balance caring and professional responsibilities, including flexible hours, remote working, reduced hours, and using supportive workplace policies. Their experiences show how these arrangements make it possible to stay connected, manage challenges, and work more effectively while meeting caring commitments.

“In recent years, workplace policies and attitudes have improved significantly. Flexible working arrangements and the increased use of online meetings have made it much easier to stay connected and collaborate effectively. I think there is greater understanding about the challenges of balancing professional responsibilities and caring roles,” she continues.

“Remote options for meetings have been a game changer, and allowed me to still contribute,” agrees Dr Dan Hodson.

Flexible hours, remote working, reduced hours, and supportive workplace policies – these are just some of the adjustments that colleagues have made. Their experiences also show how caring roles bring fresh perspectives – reshaping priorities, improving efficiency, fostering empathy, and even inspiring new approaches to science and communication.

“It has certainly given me new perspectives! In that there are more important things than work, and family comes first.” – anonymous.

“Work can usually fit around things and talking to your manager about priorities and expectations is a good starting point. If you are part of a wider team, there can be some flexibility to help each other out,” Hazel Jeffery agrees.

“My own caring responsibilities have definitely reoriented my priorities and given me a much better understanding of some of the challenges other colleagues face. The understanding that it is still possible to do science whilst meeting all those caring responsibilities,” says Dr Dan Hodson.

From highlighting the importance of open conversations, and clear communication about flexible needs, to making use of supportive policies and communities – colleagues share their advice on finding balance and getting support in the workplace.

“My advice to carers would be to be clear and specific about what flexibility you need at work in order to achieve a reasonable work-life balance,” says Lisa Banton.

“The policies at my host institute are actually quite accommodating when it comes to shared parental leave and restrictions on my work hours, so look at what is available for you,” says Dr James Allan.