Flexible working requests: preparation

A statutory flexible working request should identify the change to hours, times or place of work and when you want it to start. In Great Britain, employees can make a statutory request from the first day of employment, subject to the current procedural rules. ^[1]

Make the proposal precise

Specify the days, start and finish times, location and whether the change is intended to be permanent. If you propose compressed hours, distinguish that from reducing total hours. Explain any trial arrangement you would accept without suggesting you have waived the statutory process.

State that it is a statutory request and provide information about previous requests as required. Retain the submission date so the response timetable can be checked.

Prepare for consultation

Consider handovers, customer coverage and meetings that the proposal affects. These practical points can help discussion even where the statutory application does not require an elaborate business case. If the request also concerns disability, identify the reasonable adjustment issue separately.

Ask for the decision in writing and clarify any agreed contract change. Reasonable adjustments involves a distinct duty; employer request records shows the process the employer should document. Do not start the new pattern merely because the request has been sent.

Translate the preferred pattern into exact terms Write down the proposed days, start and finish times, total hours and work location. If you want compressed hours, explain how the same weekly hours would be distributed. If you want fewer hours, identify the reduction and ask about its effect on pay and benefits. A request to work flexibly is too broad to implement without these details. Include the intended start date and whether the change is permanent, temporary or proposed for a trial, so the employer can consider the actual arrangement requested.

Check how the proposal interacts with recurring duties. Identify meetings, customer coverage, handovers and any work that currently depends on your presence at a particular time. You can suggest practical arrangements without assuming that an elaborate business case is a statutory condition of applying. The current GOV.UK requirements focus on a written statutory request with the proposed change, start date and information about previous requests. ^[1] A useful operational explanation can support discussion while keeping the formal request concise and easy to identify.

Keep the statutory application record complete Date the request, state that it is statutory and include whether and when you made previous applications. Use the employer's form if it captures the required information, retaining a copy and evidence of submission. In Great Britain, employees can make a statutory request from the first day of employment and currently have two applications in a twelve-month period. Check the position of any existing request before submitting another. An informal conversation about preferences should not be assumed to have created the same record or timetable as a clear statutory application.

Record when the employer received it and the applicable decision timetable. Current guidance provides for a decision within two months unless a longer period is agreed, and discussion before refusal. If more time is proposed, ask what remains to be considered and agree any extension explicitly rather than leaving the date uncertain. Keep the employer's acknowledgement and meeting arrangements. Do not start the new pattern simply because the request has been submitted or because no immediate objection has been raised by the manager who received it.

Prepare for consultation about alternatives Identify which elements of the proposal are essential and where you could consider another arrangement. A different start time, partial homeworking or a trial might address the underlying need, but avoid agreeing casually to terms you have not assessed. Ask how an alternative would affect pay, duties and duration. If the employer raises a specific operational concern, request enough detail to respond. A focused discussion about coverage or workload is more useful than exchanging general assertions that the role is either entirely flexible or impossible to change.

If the request relates to disability, identify the work barrier and adjustment issue separately. The duty to consider reasonable adjustments is distinct from the statutory flexible working procedure and should not be reduced to the number of requests available. Other circumstances, including pregnancy or caring responsibilities, may raise additional questions depending on the facts. Explain the relevant context through an appropriate channel while keeping sensitive information proportionate. An adviser can then assess the different rights rather than assuming the flexible working label answers every legal aspect of the proposed change.

Make acceptance or a trial administratively clear When an arrangement is agreed, confirm the hours, location, start date and any effect on salary, holiday or benefits. Ask for the contractual record to be updated as appropriate. For a trial, specify its length, review date, measures of success and what happens at the end. A temporary experiment should not leave either party uncertain about whether the change has become permanent. Ensure payroll and scheduling staff receive the information they need so the written agreement is reflected in actual working arrangements from the agreed date.

If the request is refused, obtain the reasons in writing and compare them with the proposal discussed. Identify any factual error or alternative that appears not to have been considered, and check the employer's review or appeal route. Keep the meeting notes and decision. Reforms to flexible working are being introduced in stages, so assess the procedure applying at the relevant date rather than assuming a future requirement already governs the response. Where the dispute persists, seek advice on the actual process and any separate discrimination or adjustment issue, with legal deadlines considered independently.