Hunt: employers burying heads in sand over care 'time bomb' He accused some bosses of effectively burying their heads in the sand over the problem, claiming they were "simply not prepared" for what lies ahead. And he insisted those caring for elderly loved-ones should be taken as seriously by employers as new parents. His remarks were applauded by carers and charities who said that thousands of people already feel "abandoned" by their employers. But business leaders accused Mr Hunt of interfering and voiced "huge alarm" at the prospect of any further extension of flexible working rights. Under legislation introduced by Labour, parents with young children and those caring for frail, sick, or disabled loved-ones have the right to request special working arrangements. That can include working flexible hours, going part time, job-sharing or even concentrating their work into certain times of the year or days of the week. Employers are legally bound to give proper consideration to any such proposal and workers have a right to appeal if they do not agree with a decision. The Coalition is currently in the process of extending flexible working rights to all employees. It comes on top of an overhaul of arrangements for new parents, allowing fathers a greater share of their partner's maternity leave. According to the 2011 census there are now around 6.5 million people in the UK with caring responsibilities - a figure which has risen by a tenth in a decade. More than two million of those people have given up work entirely to care, while another three million have had to reduce their working hours, according to estimates by the charity Carers UK. Meanwhile the number of people suffering dementia is set to rise from 800,000 to more than one million by the end of this decade and double within the next 30 years. "A lot of employers have embraced flexible working policies, but some are simply not prepared for the scale of the dementia time bomb," said Mr Hunt. None of us can afford to ignore this problem. Too many people feel unable to combine caring for a family member with working - this will only get worse as we face the consequences of a dementia time bomb. He added: "We know that supporting flexible working for parents is good for business and good for the economy - it is time that the same was recognised for carers. By encouraging employers to do more we can build a stronger economy in a fairer society. Supporting carers is an economic necessity - leaving them to balance work and care creates a lose-lose situation for everyone. We are in a global race and need to face up to the challenges of an ageing population, or risk a substantial economic loss. Marianne Talbot, who spent 14 years juggling a career as an Oxford academic with caring for her parents who suffered dementia, hailed his comments as a "very timely" intervention. "Some might be in denial but I honestly think that people haven't taken on board the ramifications of the ageing population on the younger people who are looking after them and of course dementia ads to the difficulty," she said. A lot of companies don't even realise that carers need that flexible time. It is a lot like going back to the time when a woman didn't dare say 'I need time off to take my child to the dentist. That fight has succeeded but I think that the fight for carers is only just starting. George McNamara, head of policy at the Alzheimer's Society said: "There are thousands of working carers who have to look after someone with dementia, yet many feel abandoned. Too often people are struggling to balance caring for a loved one with the work they need to do to pay the bills. A little support can go a long way. We need greater recognition for carers in the workplace but also support to avoid people who care for someone feeling they need to give up work. But Katja Hall, chief policy director at the CBI, said: "We don't recognise this picture - employers have embraced flexibility over the past decade. The introduction of the right to request flexible working for parents and carers has seen a step-change, based on deals made with the agreement of businesses and parents. Businesses have to retain the right to say no, however, as they have to get work done and balance the needs of different employees. Other business leaders said Mr Hunt's comments appeared to confirm suspicions that the Government may be considering extending flexible working rights even further. "It is a huge concern," said John Wastnage, head of employment and skills at the British Chambers of Commerce. Whenever you bring in bad policy you get unintended consequences. It is not for Government ministers to second guess what is good and bad for an individual business - the businesses themselves will offer flexibility where it works for them and where it makes business sense. He added: "What employers will find very frustrating is that this Government has done more damage in the last year to their ability to offer flexible working to carers than you could imagine by extending the right to all employees. Previously employers prioritised with caring responsibilities, now they are not allowed to. Mr Hunt was speaking ahead of the publication next week of a report which will underline the scale of the challenge employers will face in the next few years. But the report jointly published by the Department of Health, Carers UK and Employers for Carers will claim that better flexibility could save taxpayers around £1.3 billion a year as well as boosting the economy. Emily Holzhausen, director of policy at Carers UK, added: "Great businesses that support carers show real productivity gains and a competitive edge. What business also needs, however, is Government to ensure there is a strong and well-funded social care system to support their employees who juggle work and care.