Flexible working regulations are changing

Following a consultation on proposals to reform the Flexible Working regulations, the government will introduce a series of legislative changes that will impact employees’ rights and businesses’ legal responsibilities. This includes:

• Making the right to request flexible working a day one right. This means that employees will be able to make a request to change their work location, working hours, and/or working pattern on the first day of employment, rather than waiting until they’ve reached 26 weeks of continuous service, as is the case under current legislation.
• Introduce a new requirement for employers to consult with employees when they intend to reject their flexible working request. This means that if an employer cannot accommodate a request to work flexibly, they will be required to discuss alternative options before they can reject the request.
• Allow 2 statutory requests in any 12-month period and require a decision period of 2 months for each request. This is a change from current leg