On 6th April 2024, when changes to the statutory right to request flexible working came into force, Acas published new guidance which provides practical examples for employers and employees on flexible working requests.
What does it say?
Benefits of flexible working
Flexible working can benefit both employees and employers.
For employees, it can help:
- balance work with other parts of their life
- improve health and wellbeing
- open up more jobs to them.
For employers, it can help:
- attract and keep staff
- their employees be more productive
- keep employees happy and motivated
- recruit for jobs that are hard to fill
- improve diversity and inclusivity.
Having a policy on flexible working can help managers and employees consistently discuss and agree on it.
Types of flexible working
Employees and employers can agree on any flexible working arrangement that meets both their needs.
Flexible working can take many forms. Organisations can implement specific types of flexible working in different ways. For example:
- Part-time hours.
- Staggered hours.
- Remote working.
- Hybrid working.
- Job sharing.
- Compressed hours – the same total hours over fewer days.
- Annualised hours – an agreed number of hours over a year with flexibility on when the employee works them.
- Term-time working – working when schools are open.
- Team-based rostering – considering team members’ preferences when scheduling when they work.
Templates
Acas developed templates for employees and employers.
