The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 has received royal assent. When the Act’s key provisions come into force, via secondary legislation on a date yet to be decided, it will make a number of significant changes to the right to make a flexible working request:
- It removes the requirement for employees to explain in their flexible working applications what effect they think them working flexibly will have on the employer;
- Employees will be allowed to make two flexible working requests every twelve months (they are currently limited to one quest);
- Employers will be legally required to consult with the employee before refusing their flexible working application; and
- The deadline for an employer decision is reduced to two months.
The Act itself does not grant employees a day one right to request flexible working (the government have promised to deliver this by secondary legislation). We will report any developments in due course.
For further information, please contact:
Fiona McLellan, Partner, Hill Dickinson
fiona.mclellan@hilldickinson.com
