Flexible Working Rights

The school holidays may present challenges for many working parents juggling the cost of childcare, or the challenges of juggling co-parenting arrangements, which is where flexible working can be a useful tool in ensuring employees can still produce the required output in a way that suits their needs.

Since 6 April 2024, the Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023 provides employees with the right to request flexible working arrangements from day one of employment. The flexible arrangements covered include working patterns or hours, part-time, flexi-time, term-time, compressed hours, adjustments to start and finish times as well as working from home arrangements and if approved would amount to a permanent change to the terms and conditions of employment.

How to handle flexible working requests around school holidays

Employers have a legal obligation to consider flexible working requests promptly, typically within a three-month timeframe as stipulated by the Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023.

When evaluating these requests, it’s essential to assess them based on business needs, operational feasibility, and the potential impact on team dynamics and productivity. Employers must also provide a written response detailing the reasons for accepting or rejecting a request, ensuring that decisions align with the legal criteria outlined in the regulations, such as the necessity to maintain service delivery and avoid undue disruption.

Flexible working policies

It can be helpful for employers to have a flexible working policy which clearly sets out its expectations about the types of alternative arrangements that can be accommodated and the responsibilities of employees and employers in making requests. It can also be a good place to set out expectations of hybrid working arrangements if this is something your business offers.

Many employers face challenges during school holidays when employees all want to have the same time off, leading to staffing problems. Having a flexible working policy can alleviate this pressure because, instead of having all of employees booking the same time off, some employees may be able to work from home or remotely (while at a relative’s home, for example) which will ensure that the business continues to thrive.

If you need advice on implementing flexible working policies into your business, then do not hesitate to contact a member of our team today who will gladly assist you.