Flexible Working Requests

Are you dealing with flexible working requests correctly?

This is no surprise, in a market where candidates are hand picking their employers, employees want flexibility and a work life balance.

There are many benefits to flexible working from an employers point of view:

•  It can attract a wider pool of candidates
•  It can help to retain staff
•  It can help extend your working hours as a business
•  It can help to reduce sickness
•  It can lead to increased productivity

But when you receive a request are you dealing with it in the correct manner?

There are many types of different flexible working options:

• Job sharing
• Working from home
• Part time hours
• Compressed hours
• Flexi-time
• Staggered hours
• Annualised hours
• Phased retirement

When an employee requests flexible working, they must do so in writing.

Your steps as an employer:

• You must consider the request, within a 3 month time period as a maximum
• If you agree to their request you must change their terms and conditions of employment in writing
• if you are refusing their request, you must write back to the employee giving the reasons for the refusal and giving them the right to appeal the decision

You must as an employer deal with requests in a ‘reasonable manner’.Examples of handling requests in a reasonable manner include:

• assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the application
• holding a meeting to discuss the request with the employee
• offering an appeal process

If you do not handle requests in a reasonable manner the employee has the ability to put in a tribunal claim.

For advice on handling requests and documentation, please contact me now.