Right to request flexible working

New and updated

• Date:

  1 June 2026

  Type:

  Commentary and insights

  Summer 2026: Eight potential issues for HR

  HR professionals in the UK face some unique challenges and employment issues in the summer of 2026. These include increased uncertainty over workers' annual leave plans because of world events; public transport disruption leading to attendance issues; and a heatwave meaning that employers should monitor workplace temperatures to ensure that they do not become unreasonable. It is also a World Cup year, which brings its own specific problems around absence, holiday and conduct.

• Type:

  Legal timetable

  Reform of the right to request flexible working

  Updated to confirm that these measures are due to come into effect in 2027, according to the Government's updated timeline. 

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Right to request flexible working

  Updated to reflect that the Government launched a consultation on 5 February 2026 in relation to reforms relating to statutory flexible working requests.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Scotland: flexible working

  This guide sets out the differences between the law on flexible working in Scotland compared with the rest of Great Britain (England and Wales).

• Date:

  4 July 2025

  Type:

  Commentary and insights

  Flexible working - the new default position for all? Key roundtable takeaways

  While many employers acknowledge that flexible working already is the new default way of working, in line with the Government's ambitions for the modern workforce, creating arrangements that meet the needs of both businesses and employees remains a challenge.

• Date:

  21 January 2025

  Type:

  Commentary and insights

  Employment Rights Act 2025 essentials: Flexible working requests

  In the second part of a new series delving into the details of the Employment Rights Act 2025, we look at the proposed changes to the right to make a flexible working request.

• Date:

  18 October 2024

  Type:

  Survey analysis

  Employment Rights Bill research 2024

  The first draft of the Employment Rights Bill was published on 10 October - just ahead of 100 days into the new Labour Government. We take an early look at how HR is reacting to the changes included in the Bill.

• Type:

  Employment law cases

  Flexible working: Employment tribunal round-up

  We look at four recent employment cases brought over the mishandling of flexible working requests, including two where the tribunal found the employee had been constructively dismissed.

• Type:

  How to

  How to deal with a request to return from maternity leave on a part-time basis

  Updated to reflect that the statutory right to request flexible working is a day-one right from 6 April 2024.

• Type:

  FAQs

  Does an employee have the right to be accompanied at a meeting to discuss a statutory request for flexible working?

  Updated to reflect the updated version of the Acas code, applicable from 6 April 2024.