UK Edition
Workers will be given a legal right to take a year's leave from their job to care for elderly relatives under a Conservative Government, Theresa May will announce on Monday.
The Prime Minister will unveil plans for the "greatest expansion of workers rights" by any Conservative Government in history as she seeks to make inroads into Labour's heartlands.
Chief among them will be a legal entitlement to take time off work to look after for loved ones on a full-time basis amid mounting concern about the scale of the social care crisis.
More than six million people are acting as unpaid carers, with a third of them spending more than 50 hours a week looking after their loved ones.
The new statutory right, much like maternity leave, will mean that their jobs are guaranteed while they are caring for their loved ones - although they will not be paid.
Mrs May will unveil 11 pledges for the Conservative manifesto to enhance workers rights as she seeks to gain the support of disenchanted working-class voters who feel alienated by Jeremy Corbyn.
She will pledge to introduce new rights for self-employed and temporary employees in the "gig economy" new rights, which could include paid maternity and paternity leave.
In a further announcement, the Prime Minister will say that she wants to introduce a statutory right to two-weeks of paid child bereavement leave.
The Prime Minister will say: “I said I would use Brexit to extend the protections and rights that workers enjoy, and our manifesto will deliver exactly that. Our plans, backed up with strong and stable leadership, will be the greatest expansion in workers’ rights by any Conservative Government in history.
“By working with business, reducing taxes and dealing with the deficit we have delivered steady improvements to the economic prospects of working people. Now is the time to lock in that economic growth and ensure the proceeds are spread to everyone in our country.
“There is only one leader at this election who will put rights and opportunities for ordinary working families first. The choice next month is clear: economic stability and a better deal for workers under my Conservative team, or chaos under Jeremy Corbyn, whose nonsensical policies would trash the economy and destroy jobs."
The new entitlement to care leave is likely to be modelled on a similar policy in Ireland, where workers can take between three months and two years off to help loved ones.
The policy gives workers the right to look after relatives or friends who are considered by officials to be so disabled that they require full-time care.
A Conservative spokesman said: "We will consult on the exact detail to ensure carers, businesses and employees can have a say on the right length and nature of leave.
"Employees would have to demonstrate that they do have a caring responsibility to access leave, as they do in other countries."
It comes as Britain's ageing population has created unprecedented pressure on the care system at a time when councils have cut services.
The Prime Minister has vowed that she will not shy away from tackling social care and has refused to rule out introducing death taxes to ensure there is sufficient funding.
The other pledges include a guarantee that workers will not lose any of the protections they enjoy under EU law after Brexit.
Mrs May will commit to raising wages in line with earnings, giving workers greater representation on company boards and ensuring that employees receive the same level information about their company's future as shareholders.
She will also announce plans for "returnships" to give extra training for mothers going back to work after maternity leave and those who have taken time off to care for loved ones.
Staff will also be given a statutory right to take time off for training under the Conservative's plans, while workers' pensions will also be given new protections from "irresponsible behaviour" by company bosses. The equalities act will also be extended to protect the rights of those suffering from mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
The new protection for workers in the so-called "gig" economy, such as drivers for Uber and internet delivery firms, follow a review set up by the Prime Minister led by Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair.
Other measures in the plans include representation for workers on company boards, although the plans do not go as far as previous suggestions that employers could be forced to appoint employees to boards.
The plans will ensuring that listed companies create stakeholder advisory panels, designate an existing non-executive director as the employee representative, or directly appoint a worker representative to the board.
The national living wage for workers aged 25 and over, currently £7.50, will rise in line with average earnings until 2022.