Flexible working can be a really useful tool to improve efficiency and employee wellbeing. It’s important however that it works for both the employer and the employee.
Any employee who has been employed for 26 weeks can make a request for flexible working, but can only do so once in a 12 month period. An employer has three months in which to make the decision. An employer can refuse a formal flexible working request on the basis of the burden of additional costs; it having a detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand; the inability to reorganise work among existing staff; the inability to recruit additional staff; the detrimental impact on quality; the detrimental impact on performance; insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work; and/or planned structural changes.
However, before you jump straight to saying no you can agree a trial period to see whether it does actually work in practice.
