Most employees are not aware of a change in the law making it easier for them to request flexible working, new research has suggested. A survey of 1,000 workers by the conciliation service Acas found seven out of 10 do not know about the change coming into force on April 6.
A separate survey of 1,000 employers found that two out of five are also unaware of the law change. Staff who have worked for their employer for 26 weeks or more currently have the right to ask if they can work flexibly, but the change in the law will make this a right that applies from the first day of employment.
Acas chief executive Susan Clews said: “Our new findings reveal that most employees and more than two in five employers are unaware of the new upcoming law changes to flexible working. These new changes will be coming into force next week and it is important for bosses and staff to be prepared. Flexible working can bring many benefits in workplaces and the starting position should be to consider what may be possible.
“Acas has prepared a new statutory code of practice that will come into effect on April 6, which addresses the changes and sets out good practice on flexible working requests.”
The code of practice includes information on who should be allowed to accompany an employee at meetings to discuss a flexible working request, the need for transparency about reasons for rejecting a request, and making it clear that employers should proactively offer an appeal where a request has been rejected.
A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: “Our new flexible working measures will give people across the UK even more flexibility over where and when they work.
“We have engaged closely with key stakeholders including Age UK and the TUC and ran an advertising campaign to communicate the new measures to employees and employers”.
