Flexible working - the law and best practice

Introduction

Certain employees have the right to request flexible working. If you receive such a request, you have a legal duty to give it serious consideration.

However, regardless of the legal obligations, businesses are appreciating more and more how flexible working can benefit their performance, eg through improved staff motivation and productivity.

This guide details the law surrounding flexible working requests, looks at how flexible working can benefit your business and outlines how you might introduce a flexible working policy.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• The right to request flexible working - the eligibility criteria
• Types of flexible working
• The employee's application for a flexible working arrangement
• Considering an employee's flexible working request
• Reaching a decision on a flexible working request
• The employee's appeal against a decision to refuse their flexible working request
• Extensions to time limits and withdrawals
• Dealing with unresolved flexible working requests
• Employment protection rights in relation to employment tribunal claims
• Business impact of flexible working
• Here's how flexible working has benefited employees and our business

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