Employment law update
New flexible working rights
From 6 April 2024, British employees have the legal right to request flexible working from day one in a new job – and employers must respond to requests within two months.
This is good news for everyone. We’re proud to have played our part in campaigning for this new legislation – it’s paving the way for more inclusive and productive workplaces. The legal right to request flexible working will inspire more constructive conversations about the myriad forms of flexibility that can benefit people and business.
People professionals will play a key role in putting this new law into practice and our tools and resources will help employers everywhere embrace the benefits of more flexible working cultures.
Flexible working
Good for people and business
Tap into increased employee satisfaction, motivation and efficiency.
Tackle skills shortages by attracting and retaining a diverse workforce.
Create inclusive workplaces that are good for business and society.
Our #Flexfrom1st campaign
Our #Flexfrom1st campaign aimed to make access to flexible working arrangements more equal.
We encouraged employers to support flexible working for all and the right to request flexible working from day one of employment. We also called for change to UK law to make flexible working requests a day-one right for all employees (previous UK law stated employees could only request to work flexibly after 26 weeks of employment, with a limit of one request per 12 months).
While the COVID-19 pandemic saw huge increases in remote working, CIPD research found that 46% of UK employees did not have access to any form of flexible working in their current role, despite many different types of flexible working available. Those without access to flexible working were around twice as likely to be dissatisfied in their job, compared to those who do.
CIPD research also clearly identified the benefits of flexible working arrangements for employers and employees, from improved wellbeing and work–life balance to greater engagement and job performance.
Our glossary of flexible working terms explains what each type of flexible working arrangement means.
INFLUENCING PUBLIC POLICY
Celebrating
our success
The flexible working rights we and others campaigned for are now enshrined in law! We’re proud to have played our part in giving millions of employees a legal right to request flexible working from day one in a new job – the benefits of flexible working were too hard for policy makers to ignore.
How we’re helping you make it happen
We’ve created a range of guidance and resources to help organisations embed the benefits of flexible working.
Flexible working fundamentals
Guidance, tools and resources to get you startedHow to manage flexible working requests
A guide for employers and managersFlowchart for managing flexible working requests made during recruitment
Managing requests during recruitmentHow to request flexible working
A guide for employees
CIPD Trust
Tackling barriers to work today whilst creating inclusive workplaces of tomorrow.
Influencing policy
Our public policy team champions better work and working lives by shaping public debate, government policy and legislation.
Our research explores employer and employee perspectives of flexible and hybrid working practices and asks whether organisations are doing enough to meet employee demand
Explore the CIPD’s point of view on flexible working, including recommendations for employers