There is no length of service criteria required to apply for flexible working. Employees can apply from day one of employment.  

All flexible working requests must be made in writing using the Flexible Working Application Form. The application must be dated, confirm that this is a statutory request to work flexibly and confirm details of the request e.g. what change you are seeking and the proposed effective date.

Yes. The University will consider temporary requests for a maximum of 12-months. If you wish to extend the arrangement beyond 12-months, you must apply for this prior to the expiry of the initial 12-month arrangement. 

Yes. It is recommended that before submitting a formal Flexible Working Application Form, that you informally discuss your request with your line manager. It may be that your line manager can approve the request without the need for the formalities, particularly in non-complicated scenarios however, if your line manager cannot commit to approving the request, you should formally request this via the Flexible Working Application Form.

Your line manager will arrange to meet with you to discuss your request. An HR representative may attend the meeting to provide procedural support and guidance.

The purpose of this meeting is to explore your request, discuss how it might work in practice, and consider any alternative options that may be suitable for both parties. 

Your line manager may take brief notes of the discussion. 

You are entitled to be accompanied at the meeting by either a Trade Union representative or a work colleague. 

No. Your line manager has an obligation to consider your request and consult with you about your request. Where there are business reasons that lead to your request being denied, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible. The line manager will review the application and where possible, propose alternative options to allow some degree of flexibility. 

The Flexible Working Policy allows an appeal process. If your request is declined or only agreed in part, you can appeal the decision. The appeal should be made in writing to the Director of HR, within 10-working days of receiving the outcome, clearly setting out the grounds for the appeal. 

No. The University's Flexible Working Policy does not restrict the number of flexible working applications an employee can make however only one flexible working application can be requested at any given time. 

If a flexible working request is approved, the line manager will usually implement a trial period. The purpose of this is to assess that the working arrangement is suitable for both parties. Trial periods are normally 3-months but this timeframe can be shortened, extended or waived entirely. 

I have received a flexible working application from an employee. What do I need to do?

1. Firstly, you should be aware of the timelines. All requests (including any appeals) must be decided and acted upon within a period of 2 months from when you receive the application.
2. Read the Flexible Working Policy and line manager guidance which will support you in managing the process within the law. 

What is the time limit within which I must respond to a request for flexible working?

The University must notify the employee of its decision (including any appeal) within 2 months of receiving the application, unless a longer period is agreed with the employee. Any extension to this timeline should be confirmed in writing. 

I have received more than one flexible working request for my team - what do I do?

Requests will normally be considered in the order that they are received. Each case will be judged on its own merits. You should consider the applications taking into consideration the potential benefits of the requests, the effect on the School/Unit, and the possible impact of refusing a request. 

Where one or more employees within a team have already been granted a flexible working request, the business context in which the second request is made will be different, and this will be considered in view of further requests. 

Can I ask an employee to change their working arrangements once a flexible working arrangement has been approved?

Once a flexible working request has been agreed, it forms a permanent change to the employee's contract (unless otherwise agreed) and cannot be changed without further agreement between the employee and the line manager.

What are the business grounds for rejecting a flexible working request?

You must accept a flexible working request unless there is a genuine business reason not to. Where there is such a reason, it may be possible to agree to the request with modifications, or to agree an alternative proposal. If the decision must be to reject a request, it must be for one or more of the following business reasons:

• An inability to recruit additional staff, or reorganise work among existing staff. 
• A planned structural change to the University’s business operation.
• Insufficient work available during the periods the employee proposes to work. 
• The burden of additional costs is unacceptable to the University. 
• The University considers that the change would have a detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand. 
• The University considers that the change would have a detrimental impact on quality or performance. 

If a flexible working request is approved, can the employee request another change to work patterns at a later date? 

Yes. An employee who has had a flexible working request approved can make a subsequent request at a later date to change their working pattern again.