Flexible working: key differences in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Updating authors: Stephen Chegwin and Jo Broadbent, consultant editor (Scotland): Gillian MacLellan, consultant editor (Northern Ireland): Gareth Walls

Future developments

Scotland: There are no future developments specific to Scotland.

Northern Ireland: On 1 July 2024, the Department for the Economy launched a consultation: The "Good Jobs" Employment Rights Bill. The consultation seeks views on proposals aimed at "strengthening employment legislation" which may progress under an Employment Bill and supporting secondary legislation. The consultation proposes that the right to make a flexible working request be a day one right for new and existing employees. Further, employees would be allowed to make two flexible working requests in any 12-month period and would no longer be required to explain, as part of the current statutory framework, the effect that the change requested would have on the employer and how the employer could deal with that change. The consultation closed on 30 September 2024.

The Employment Rights Bill, which was introduced to the UK Parliament on 10 October 2024, does not extend to Northern Ireland.

Scotland

The law on part-time workers and the right to request flexible working that applies in England and Wales extends to Scotland.