Purpose and Scope
This policy sets out how [Organisation Name] handles statutory and informal requests to change working patterns. It applies to all employees. If a request involves changing working locations, read this policy alongside our remote and hybrid working policies.
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our Adoption Leave Policy, Annual Leave Policy and Bereavement Leave Policy.
Policy Statement
[Organisation Name] supports flexible working whenever operational needs allow. We evaluate every request objectively against business impact, operational requirements, and role suitability, regardless of why an employee asks or what their personal circumstances are.
Types of Flexible Working
Flexible working arrangements include, but are not limited to:
- Part-time working: Fewer total weekly hours or working days.
- Compressed hours: Full-time hours worked across fewer days.
- Flexitime: Flexible start and finish times built around fixed core hours.
- Staggered hours: Fixed, non-standard start and finish times.
- Job sharing: One full-time role split between two employees.
- Remote or hybrid working: Working from home or an offsite location for part or all of the week.
- Annualised or term-time hours: Hours averaged over the year or set around academic terms.
Making a Statutory Request
To submit a formal statutory request, employees must:
- Write to [Role] using [Form/System].
- State clearly that the submission is a statutory flexible working request.
- Detail the proposed changes to the working pattern and specify a start date.
- State whether they have made a previous statutory request, including the date of that request.
- Include practical suggestions for running the new pattern, if possible. While helpful, this is not mandatory.
Request Processing Procedure
- [Role] acknowledges the request in writing within [Number] working days and logs it in [System].
- Line management invites the employee to a formal meeting to discuss the proposal. The employee may bring a workplace colleague.
- The manager evaluates the request against statutory business criteria and checks practical impacts with [Role/Operations Team].
- The manager reaches a formal decision within the statutory timeframe.
- [Role] provides written confirmation of the outcome: approved as submitted, approved with modifications, agreed on a trial basis, or refused.
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Trial Periods and Contract Variations
- If operational impacts are uncertain, [Organisation Name] may agree to a trial period of [Length] with formal reviews at [Intervals]. Both parties must document trial objectives, terms, and post-trial expectations in writing before the trial starts.
- Permanently agreed changes vary the employment contract. Written confirmation will outline the revised working pattern, pay adjustments for reduced hours, and the start date.
Refusal Grounds and Appeals
- Managers may only refuse requests on statutory business grounds, such as extra cost burdens, inability to meet customer demand, or failure to reallocate work among current staff. The written decision must explain how these grounds apply directly to the role. Blanket refusals are prohibited.
- An employee can appeal in writing to [Senior Role] within [Number] working days of receiving a refusal decision.
- An independent manager with no prior involvement in the case will hear the appeal. The appeal decision is final.
Informal Flexibility
Line managers can approve one-off or short-term schedule changes directly (such as shifting hours for personal appointments) without a formal request. Informal arrangements do not alter the employment contract and management may alter or withdraw them at any time. Permanent schedule shifts require a formal statutory request.
Records and Policy Review
- [System] retains all written requests, consultation notes, outcomes, and appeal records on the employee’s personnel file for [Period].
- [Role] audits flexible working decisions [Frequency] to maintain consistency and compliance across the business.
- We review this policy [Frequency] and update it whenever relevant laws change.
Policy Owner: [Role] Next Review Date: [Date]
FAQs on Flexible Working Policy
What is a flexible working policy?
A flexible working policy sets out how your organisation handles statutory and informal requests to change working patterns. It applies to all employees.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does a flexible working policy include?
This template covers types of flexible working, making a statutory request, request processing procedure and trial periods and contract variations.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement a flexible working policy with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.
