One of the provisions of The Children and Families Act 2014 will potentially have a significant effect on employers as it extends the right to request flexible working to all employees with at least 26 weeks' continuous service.
The new rules will come into force at the end of this month (June 2014) and will impose on employers an obligation to deal with requests in a reasonable manner and within a three-month decision period. Flexible working can pose massive operational challenges for employers. This further extension of access to this right will be unwelcome for many but as previously it does not mean that such requests cannot be refused.
What it does mean is that it is essential that employers have in place a process to ensure that any requests received are dealt with efficiently and within the prescribed time limit, and that proper and justifiable reasons are given for any refusal. As with so much in employment law employers who follow sensible and established procedures significantly reduce their risks of successful claims being pursued.
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