From the 6th April 2024 employees will be able to make a statutory request to make permanent changes to their contract from their first day of employment i.e how long, when and where they work. 2 such requests can be made in a 12 month period compared to the current 1 request.
Employers will need to make a decision on any requests within 2 months of receiving it (currently 3 months).
If you feel unable to accept the request you need to liaise with your employee – however they will not have to explain what effect, if any, the request would have on your organisation or how it could be overcome. The request can only be rejected for one of the following 8 reasons:-
- extra costs that will damage the business
- the work cannot be reorganised among other staff
- people cannot be recruited to do the work
- flexible working will affect quality and performance
- the business will not be able to meet customer demand
- there’s a lack of work to do during the proposed working times
- the business is planning changes to the workforce
There are a number of benefits to the Employer if flexible working is approved such as improved retention rates, increased productivity, more job applications and reduced absences’.
For further information on what a business should do if an employee requests flexible working arrangements as well as the benefits it can bring, please visit the Help To Grow section of the GOV.UK website.
Additional details can also be found here: Flexible working | Acas
ACAS also offer FREE elearning modules for employers and employees. They cover a wide range of employment topics including:
- contracts, hours and pay
- dealing with workplace problems
- equality, diversity and inclusion
- leave and time off
- managing people and performance
- mental health
- redundancy
For further details visit: Online training | Acas
