In April this year the law was changed to make the right to request flexible working a Day One right (as opposed to a right that applied after 26 weeks continuous service) and to increase the number or requests that may be made in a 12-month period to two (from one).
The Government is proposing to go even further, by making flexible working the default for all workers from Day One. The change will mean that all employers will have to accommodate flexible working “as far as reasonable” by default. The key question will therefore be around what is “reasonable” in each case.
What do employers need to think about?
- Review the flexible working policy (if you have one) and consider what changes may be required.
- Consider what your justifications for refusing or amending flexible working requests would be if the eight existing reasons/justifications are removed.