UK – Flexible working requests to become a day one right

  • 1m read
  • January 3, 2024

What’s new?

From 6 April 2024, employees will have the right to make a flexible working request from their first day of employment.

Currently, the Flexible Working Regulations 2014 requires employees to have completed 26 weeks of continuous employment in order to make a request. The Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023 will remove this requirement along with introducing numerous reforms to the current process which are explained below and which are also coming into effect at the same time.

What reforms are due to come into effect?

  1. The number of flexible working requests an employee is entitled to make in any 12-month period will increase from one to two.
  2. Employees will no longer be required to explain the effect they anticipate their flexible working request will have on their employer.
  3. Employers will be required to respond to any request within two months instead of three.
  4. Employers will be required to consult with an employee prior to refusing their flexible working request.

So, what should employers do now?

Employers should review their internal policies and processes to ensure they are compliant with the new “day 1” right and other changes which will be effective on 6 April 2024, including updating any template policies. If you need any support with this, or would like any further information, please get in touch with a member of the MDR ONE team.

Resource Centre

Article

Ireland – Code of Practice on the right to request remote or flexible working published in March 2024

What rights do employees have to request flexible or remote working? Employees can submit a flexible working or remote working request from their first day of employment, but they must have reached six months’ continuous service before the start of any period of flexible/remote work. Additionally, flexible (not remote working) requests can only be made
View
abstract glass building
Article

Czech Republic – Flexible amendments to the Labour Code

A draft bill regarding changes to the Labour Code in the Czech Republic has recently been published. The draft bill amends a range of significant provisions such as the probationary period, termination of employment, working time and pay. The amendment aims to increase flexibility in employment relationships and is anticipated to come into force in January 2025.
View
Article

Singapore – New Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangements

What are FWAs? FWAs are work arrangements where employers and employees agree to a variation from the standard work arrangement. These can be categorised as follows: (i) flexi-place (for example, working from home); (ii) flexi-time (for example, flexible working hours); and (iii) flexi-load (for example, job sharing or part-time work). What procedure should be followed
View

Australia – Increase to paid parental leave

What are the key changes to paid parental leave? Effective 1 July 2024, eligible parents will be entitled to 22 weeks of paid parental leave in total, increasing each year by two weeks until it reaches 26 weeks on 1 July 2026. Effective 1 July 2025, the period of leave reserved for (and which must
View