Flexible working request

A flexible working request is a statutory request to change how someone works — their hours, the times they work, or where they work. Since April 2024, under the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, it is a day-one right: employees no longer need six months' service before asking.

How requests work

• The request is made in writing; employees can make two statutory requests in any 12-month period.
• The employer must handle it reasonably, consult the employee before refusing, and complete the whole process — including any appeal — within two months, unless both sides agree to extend.
• A request can only be refused on one or more of the eight statutory business grounds, such as the burden of additional costs, inability to reorganise work among existing staff, or a detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand.
• The ACAS Code of Practice sets the standard tribunals will measure the process against.

On a shift rota

In shift settings, requests usually mean fixed days, school-run-friendly start times, compressed hours or term-time patterns. Many are easier to accommodate than they first look once the whole rota is in view — and a trial period is a perfectly good answer when you are genuinely unsure. A pattern that keeps a reliable person is usually cheaper than recruiting their replacement.

Employment Rights Act 1996, Part 8A, as amended by the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 and 2024 regulations — with the ACAS Code of Practice on requests for flexible working.

Related terms

• Term-time contract
• Rota
• Zero-hours contract