Did You Know? Flexible Working Requests Are Now a Day-One Right

Did You Know? Flexible Working Requests Are Now a Day-One Right

Many employers are still catching up with one of the most important workplace changes — flexible working is now a day-one right for employees.

This change, introduced under updates to UK Employment Law, means employees can request flexible working from the first day of employment, rather than after 26 weeks.

📌 What Employers Must Do

Under current legislation, employers must:

• Consider requests reasonably and fairly
• Respond within two months
• Consult with the employee before refusing a request
• Provide a valid business reason if declining

⚖️ Valid Reasons for Refusal

Employers can still refuse requests, but only for legitimate business reasons such as:

• Negative impact on performance
• Inability to reorganise work
• Increased costs

⚠️ Risks for Employers

Failure to follow correct procedures could lead to:

• Tribunal claims
• Discrimination risks (especially indirect discrimination)
• Damage to employee relations

💬 Matthew Chilcott Comment

“Flexible working is no longer a ‘benefit’ — it’s an expectation and a legal right from day one.

Employers must ensure managers are trained to handle requests correctly and consistently to avoid risk and that a set procedure is followed or it could turn out to be very costly for an employer!  Recently at one of our Employment Tribunals, we found that the law had changed and thankfully due to our professionalism and keeping on top of the current law, we had done everything correctly and when the Claimants Solicitor claimed we had not followed the correct ACAS Procedure, we were able to demonstrate otherwise and avoid a possible hefty penalty payable under the Equality Act 2010″

✅ How Consensus HR Helps

We support employers by:

• Providing compliant flexible working policies
• Training managers on handling requests
• Ensuring decisions are fair, documented, and legally sound

👉 https://www.consensushr.com/services/
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