How long do I have to respond to a flexible working request?

Two months from the date you receive the request, and that period has to cover the consultation meeting, the decision and any appeal you offer. You can agree a longer period with the employee, but the agreement should be in writing. If you miss the deadline without an agreed extension, the employee can complain to an employment tribunal, which can order you to reconsider the request and award up to eight weeks' pay (capped at the statutory week's pay).

Can I refuse a flexible working request?

Yes, but only for one or more of eight statutory business reasons: additional costs; a detrimental effect on meeting customer demand; inability to reorganise work among existing staff; inability to recruit extra staff; a detrimental impact on quality; a detrimental impact on performance; insufficient work during the proposed hours; or planned structural change. You must also have consulted the employee first. Write down which ground applies and the business facts behind it — a tribunal will look at whether the ground was genuinely held, not at whether it was the best commercial decision.

Is flexible working a day-one right?

The right to make a request is a day-one right for employees, from 6 April 2024. There is no longer a 26-week service requirement. It remains a right to request, not a right to receive: the employee can ask from their first day, and you still decide the request on the statutory grounds. Agency workers and the genuinely self-employed are outside the statutory scheme, though you can choose to run the same process for them.

How many flexible working requests can an employee make in a year?

Two statutory requests in any rolling 12-month period, and only one can be under consideration at any one time. If an employee makes a third statutory request within the same 12 months you can decline to treat it as a statutory request, though you may still consider it informally. Count from the date each request was made, not from the date it was decided.

Do I have to hold a meeting about a flexible working request?

You must consult the employee before refusing a request. In practice that means a meeting — in person or by video — where you talk through what they have asked for and whether anything else would work. If you are simply agreeing the request as made, no meeting is required, though a short conversation about the start date and any handover usually saves problems later.

Does an accepted flexible working request change the employment contract?

Yes. An accepted statutory request is a permanent variation to the contract unless you have both agreed in writing that it is a trial or a temporary arrangement. Issue a written variation confirming the new hours, days or location and the date it takes effect, and recalculate holiday entitlement, pay and any pro-rata benefits at the same time.

Reviewed by David White · Director · MCIPD, BA (Hons), MA Strategic HRM · Updated 21 June 2026

Templates · Word · HR Policies

Flexible Working Request Form

Free Word download for UK employers, written and reviewed by our HR team.

An editable Word form updated for the April 2024 day-one rights regime. Captures all information you need to make a fair decision, with a separate employer decision section.

What this form covers

The employee's details, current working pattern and the change they are asking for
The date they would like the change to start, and whether it is permanent or temporary
The employee's own assessment of the effect on the business and how it could be managed
A declaration of whether they have made a previous statutory request in the last 12 months
A separate employer section for the consultation meeting, the decision and the statutory ground relied on if the request is refused
An appeal section, so the whole request sits on one auditable record

When to use this form

Provide to any employee requesting flexible working. They can make two statutory requests per rolling 12 months.

The statutory process this form sits inside

1
Check the request is statutory
Since 6 April 2024 the right to request flexible working is a day-one right — there is no qualifying service period. An employee may make two statutory requests in any rolling 12-month period, and only one may be live at a time. A request must be in writing, dated, state that it is a statutory flexible working request, and say whether the employee has made a previous request and when.
2
Consult before you decide
You must not refuse a request without first consulting the employee. A short meeting is enough, but it has to be a genuine discussion of the request and of any alternative that might work — a different pattern, a trial period, or a later start date.
3
Decide within two months
The whole process, including any appeal you choose to offer, must be completed within two months of the date the request was received, unless you and the employee agree in writing to extend it. There is no separate statutory deadline to acknowledge the request, but writing back quickly is good practice and starts the clock clearly.
4
Refuse only on a statutory ground
A request can only be refused for one or more of the eight statutory business reasons: the burden of additional costs; a detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand; inability to reorganise work among existing staff; inability to recruit additional staff; a detrimental impact on quality; a detrimental impact on performance; insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work; or planned structural changes. Name the ground and explain the business facts behind it in writing.
5
Confirm the outcome and vary the contract
If you agree the change, it is a permanent variation to the contract unless you have both agreed a trial or a temporary arrangement in writing. Issue a written variation and update payroll, holiday entitlement and any pro-rata benefits.

How to complete it

Acknowledge receipt within a few days. You must respond within two months including any appeal.

Common mistakes we see

Refusing because of a general preference for staff being on site, rather than one of the eight statutory grounds
Deciding without any meeting, which now breaches the duty to consult
Missing the two-month deadline and only noticing when the employee chases
Treating an agreed change as informal, so the contract is never varied and pay, holiday and pension are calculated on the old pattern
Ignoring the discrimination angle — a refusal that disadvantages a carer, a disabled employee or a mother returning from maternity leave can found a separate claim even where the flexible working process was followed

This template is provided for general use and does not constitute legal advice. If your situation is complex, contact one of our HR experts before sending or signing.