Employee Benefits 20th January 2021 11:59 am Long-term savings and retirement business Phoenix Group is providing five more paid leave days for working carers to help them cope with the third national lockdown. Sara Thompson, group HR director, said: “Last year we provided colleagues with similar access to five days’ emergency paid leave to help them during the lockdowns of March and June 2020. This additional emergency leave is there to help cover immediate childcare or caring requirements and to explore if there are alternative arrangements available.” The organisation is also urging other employers to follow suit if possible. The call comes on the back of research last year which found 4.4 million working carers were using their annual leave to fulfill their caring duties.