What to do when an employee makes a flexible working request

What are flexible working requests?

A flexible working request is a legal right of an employee, but an employer can refuse it if they have legitimate business reasons for doing so.

UK employers can reject a flexible working request on appropriate business grounds. However, an employer must be reasonable: first, by assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the working request, and secondly, by discussing the request with the employee themselves.

We know it's not always easy 

The demand for flexible working is growing at an unprecedented rate after the pandemic. Research by EY found that 39% of UK employees would like more flexibility in when they work, 43% wanted choice in where they worked.

For leaders of SME businesses, who understand the advantages and disadvantages of flexible working, granting every employee request is not always possible. Due to the nature of some businesses, or the stage of business growth, allowing staff to reduce their hours, work from abroad, work from home, or have a four-day week might have big negative effects on the business overall.

Therefore, business leaders need to respond to flexible working requests in a certain way to give them the best chance of keeping their best staff happy and motivated, to improve retention and maintain a strong company culture.

Here are our top tips.

The best ways for an employer to respond to a flexible working request:

#1 Be open

A key aspect of flexible working is that it can vary between members of staff, based on their working styles and their personal lives. Therefore, remain open-minded about which options each employee might want and what might be possible. Don’t just immediately shut down requests.

#2 Be honest

Especially on occasions where you cannot grant a flexible working request, be honest. Make sure to explain your concerns clearly and openly with your staff. That honesty will go a long way when it comes to them accepting why you’ve said no and will hopefully avoid any bitterness over your decision.

#3 Be attentive

Make sure you emphasise that discussing their request has your full attention. Put it on your priority list and ask staff key questions to show you are doing your best to understand why they have requested it and will be doing your best to help them.

#4 Be intentional

We recommend that you intentionally keep staff updated on the progress of their request, even if there isn’t much to say at certain stages of the process. Keep them in the loop of key conversations you may be having with other members of the team and put specific meetings in the diary or make intentional phone calls to discuss it, rather than letting time pass by. This shows them you are taking the request seriously.

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Conclusion

One thing is certain, flexible working is here to stay. Business leaders cannot ignore it much longer and they must embrace it to some capacity. Not doing so may well mean their best talent will leave them for other employers who offer such policies such as hybrid working, and they will struggle to recruit people into the right roles.

By adopting a reasonable and realistic approach to staff demands, you can do your best to ensure you keep them happy as well as protecting your business' bottom-line.