This law matters when staff ask to change hours, location, working pattern or other arrangements. The practical risk for small employers is treating flexible working as an informal favour instead of a statutory request process. A short, fair process with clear reasons is usually safer than a rushed yes or no.
Main laws
United Kingdom Act
Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023
The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 changes the UK flexible working request framework and should be read with the current...
In forceUnited KingdomPlain-English guide4 practical checks
Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Use the linked official source for section-level detail, and get advice for your situation.
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Quick read
- This law matters when staff ask to change hours, location, working pattern or other arrangements.
- The practical risk for small employers is treating flexible working as an informal favour instead of a statutory request process.
Likely relevant if
- Employers
- Managers handling hybrid, part-time or compressed-hours requests
- Startups formalising people processes
Check first
- Recognise statutory flexible working requests
- Consult before refusing a request where consultation is required
- Respond within the current statutory timeframe
What this means in practice
Key points
- Flexible working is both a legal process and a retention issue.
- Managers should use the same request pathway across the business.
- Refusal reasons should connect to real business impact, not preference or habit.
When this law usually matters
Most businesses do not need to memorise the whole law. The useful starting point is to know when it is likely to affect a contract, customer journey, employee process, data flow or company decision.
Key points
- Employers
- Managers handling hybrid, part-time or compressed-hours requests
- Startups formalising people processes
- Businesses updating staff handbooks and HR templates
What to check first
Sense check
- Recognise statutory flexible working requests
- Consult before refusing a request where consultation is required
- Respond within the current statutory timeframe
- Record the business reasons for any refusal
Documents and workflows to review
Key points
- Flexible working policy
- Request and response templates
- Hybrid work policy
- Manager guidance
- Employment contracts
Related topics
How Sprintlaw can help
Update history
New13 June 2026
Flexible working request reforms added to the tracker
The library now tracks the UK flexible working reform framework for employers handling statutory requests.