Whether you are just returning to work after maternity leave or are reassessing your work-life balance you may well be considering discussing flexible working with your employer.
In this month’s guest blog Consilia Legal discuss how you can make a flexible working request and how to handle the process with your employer.
Flexible working allows for your working patterns to change to improve your life. Flexible working can mean many things: compressing or reducing your hours, flexitime, working from home, job sharing or taking time off during the school holidays.
1. Check you qualify
If you have at least 26 weeks continuous employment you can make a request for flexible working. It’s known as ‘making a statutory application’.
You can make one request in any 12 month period. This doesn’t prevent you from making more informal requests during that time.
You can request to change your terms of employment – the hours you work, the times you work or where you work. Most requests are permanent changes, but you can request a temporary change and specify the duration of the change.
2. Apply in writing
You should email or write a letter to your employer.
If you have an HR department check with them first as they may have a standard form to make an application.
An effective flexible working request persuades your employer that it is a good idea for both of you.
Your application should include:
3. Wait for your employers response
An employer must deal with your request in a reasonable manner. This includes discussing it with you and allowing you to be accompanied to any meetings to discuss your request.
Your employer must notify you of the outcome of your request within three months (or longer if agreed with you).
You can withdraw your flexible working request at any stage. However once the request is made it still counts as a request, so you will be unable to apply again for another 12 months.
If your request is approved, your employer must issue you a written statement of the changes to your terms within one month from the date that the changes take effect. You may also want to request a new contract of employment.
Your employer can of course reject your request if they have a legitimate business reason to do so. Their reason can fall under any of the following:
4. Be open minded & flexible
Your employer might not be able to give you exactly what you want, but they may suggest a compromise.
It is best to stay as open minded as possible and come up with a solution that will work for you both.
Flexible working doesn’t always mean you will be working less and it doesn’t mean you will be ‘slacking off’. It means finding hours that suit your life and talking to your employer to make it work for both of you.
Do you think a change in your work pattern could help you with your work life balance?
The Employment team would be happy to discuss your current situation and offer advice on a flexible working application. They offer a FREE initial telephone consultation for Mumbler’s, please email enquiries@consilialegal.co.uk or call 0113 322 9222.
**This is a sponsored blog post from Consilia Legal**