Statutory flexible working request

Formal request under section 80F Employment Rights Act 1996 as amended by the Flexible Working Regulations 2023 — day-one right since 6 April 2024, two requests per year, employer must respond within 2 months.

Draft template. This letter is being reviewed by a regulated solicitor before publication. You can use it now as a starting point, but read the surrounding guide carefully and consider getting free legal advice before sending.

From 6 April 2024 this is a day-one right (no qualifying service). The employer must respond within 2 months. They can only refuse on one of the eight statutory grounds (burden of additional costs, detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand, inability to reorganise work among existing staff, etc.). If refused unreasonably, you can claim at the Employment Tribunal within 3 months. The 2024 ACAS Code of Practice applies.

AI cross-check (2026-06-15) — pending regulated solicitor sign-off

This letter cites the following authority, which the AI has checked against current GOV.UK / legislation.gov.uk:

  • Section 80F Employment Rights Act 1996 (flexible working request): confirmed currently in force as amended. The day-one right came into force on 6 April 2024 via the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 and the Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/1328) — correctly stated.
  • Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/1328): confirmed in force from 6 April 2024. Key changes: day-one right (removing 26-week qualifying period); two requests per year (increased from one); consultation requirement before refusal; 2-month response deadline (reduced from 3 months).
  • Two requests per year: confirmed — the 2023 Regulations increased the permitted requests from one to two in any 12-month rolling period.
  • 2-month response deadline: confirmed under s.80G ERA 1996 as amended — the employer must deal with the request within 2 months (reduced from 3 months).
  • Eight statutory refusal grounds (s.80G(1)(b) ERA 1996): confirmed as the exhaustive list of grounds on which an employer may refuse.
  • ACAS Code of Practice on Flexible Working (2024): the ACAS Code was updated in 2024 to reflect the new rules — confirmed as current.

Reviewer focus areas: (1) Confirm whether the Employment Rights Bill (progressing through Parliament in 2025–2026) makes any further changes to the flexible working regime beyond those already in force. (2) Confirm that the 3-month Tribunal time limit for unreasonable refusal is still correct under current law. (3) Check whether the ACAS Code of Practice on Flexible Working has been revised since its 2024 update.

This AI cross-check is an aid only; final sign-off requires a regulated solicitor.

Your details

For example: "Compressed hours — 4 days × 9.5 hours" or "Remote working 3 days per week" or "Reduced hours to 0.8 FTE"

Briefly explain why you want this and address any business impact (cover for tasks, customer impact, team).

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Disclaimer

This information is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. You should seek qualified legal help if your situation requires it.