Schools HR – Flexible Working

On 30 June 2021 the Flexible Working Bill was introduced to parliament which would give all workers a legal right to flexible working from day one of employment, and would require employers to include in job advertisements what flexibility is available, as well as to offer flexible working arrangements in employment contracts. According to Sky News an announcement is expected imminently setting out the government's proposal in respect of an immediate right to request flexible working.

Currently, the right to request flexible working under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 1996) is limited to those who are employees (as opposed to workers) and who have been continuously employed for 26 weeks at the date the request is made. Some employers may have flexible working policies that are more favourable than this.