Flexible working

Flexible working changes the pattern or place

Flexible working can change hours, start and finish times, working days or place of work. Part-time, compressed hours, flexitime, job sharing, annualised hours, remote work and hybrid work are common examples. The arrangement can be agreed informally or through a statutory request, but a lasting contractual change should be recorded clearly.

In Great Britain, every employee can make a statutory request from their first day. An employer must handle it reasonably, consult before refusing and decide within the current statutory period unless an extension is agreed. The right is to request a change, not an automatic right to the requested pattern. GOV.UK's current flexible-working overview explains the process.

Test the request against the real work

Discuss the proposed pattern with the employee and identify what must be covered: customer hours, handovers, supervision, meetings, equipment and data access. Consider alternatives if the first proposal causes a genuine problem, such as a trial period or different start times.

Keep the decision consistent and check discrimination, disability-adjustment and family-leave issues separately. A flexible-working request can overlap with those duties, but it does not replace them.

Record what was agreed

Confirm the new hours, days, location, start date and whether the change is permanent or time-limited. Update the contract or written particulars where required, plus holiday, pay, benefits and working-time records.

Review this page before the planned 2027 Great Britain changes take effect, and whenever Northern Ireland commences its separate reforms. Until then, apply the process in force for the employee's work jurisdiction.