Stacie Cheadle outlines reforms under the Employment Rights Act and the recent consultation on how the proposals might work in practice
In recent years, employers in the UK have faced significant legal changes regarding flexible working, requiring increased adaptability in workforce management. These changes are aimed at modernising employment practices while addressing the evolving needs of employees and businesses. This shift is set to continue with upcoming reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the proposals in the recent flexible working consultation.
Since June 2014, the statutory right to request flexible working has been broadened significantly. Originally limited to employees with caring responsibilities, it was extended to all employees with at least 26 weeks of continuous service.
As recently as 6 April 2024 came further structural changes to the system with the removal of the 26-week qualifying period from the eligibility criteria. Employees can now submit flexible working requests from day one of employment, encouraging earlier access to adaptable working arrangements.
The introduction of the statutory code of practice for employers to adhere to when managing flexible working requests was also key. Through the code, organisations are required to consider requests reasonably and within a reasonable timeframe, but are no longer bound by a rigid procedural framework consisting of statutory deadlines for completing each step. Instead, there is an...
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