The countdown to better access to flex has begun!

The shift towards all parents and carers getting the flex they need took a huge step forward in Parliament this week, meaning it will become law in April 2024. Once this happens, requesting flexible working will be an automatic right from the day and employee starts a job, and they will no longer be expected to explain how the arrangement will work. The other changes employees will notice are that they will be able to make two requests a year instead of one, and the processing time will now be two months instead of three. And by legally ensuring more communication from an employer should they want to reject an application, there will be more opportunity to find a solution that works for everyone.

This comes after Working Families, the UK’s national charity for working parents and carers put forward the proposals to Yasmin Qureshi MP last year, when they were hopeful that the time was ripe for change. And whilst there’s still work to be done before it can be said that everyone has equal access to flexible working, this legislation marks a sea change, and will pave the way for progressive reform in the future so that one day, flexible working will be the default in the UK.

Commenting on the legislation being passed, Yasmin Qureshi MP said: “I’m grateful to Working Families for helping me initiate and progress the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act through Parliament. This new legislation will make it easier for employees to access flexible working opportunities and will encourage employers to think more about what working arrangements they can offer when advertising vacancies. For many of the UK’s working parents and carers, the ability to access greater flexibility could be the difference between quitting work or reducing working hours to meet their caring responsibilities, and staying in their job and maintaining their income.”