On 5 December the outcome of the government consultation for flexible working changes that allow a request to become a day one right was published.

The government will support the bill as it passes through parliament and intend new flexible working changes to:
· allow employees to make flexible working requests from day one of their employment rather than having to wait until they have 26 weeks continuous service
· require employers to consult with their employees, exploring the options, before rejecting their flexible working request
· allow employees to make two flexible working requests in any 12-month period (the current allowance is one) with employers having to respond to requests within two months (currently three months)
· remove the requirement for employees to identify the effects and impact of their flexible working request and make that the employer’s responsibility

At the moment we don’t know any timescales for when to expect the bill to be implemented and we’re also waiting to see if there will be a reduction in the number of reasons an employer can use to reject a request. As soon as we know more we will of course share it with you.

The way we work has changed significantly in the past 3 years and there is no simple one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to flexible working. We know that many of our clients have already adopted a more flexible approach and it’s something we expect to be talking a lot more about in 2023.