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💼 Great Britain • 2026⚡ Day 1 Right to Request⏳ 2-Month Decision Deadline

Statutory Flexible Working Request Guide 2026

Understand the current Great Britain statutory right to request flexible working, including hybrid, remote, compressed, and part-time arrangements.

Flexible Working Request Checker

Check whether another statutory request can be made under the 12-month rules

Maximum 2 statutory requests in any 12-month period.

Statutory Timeline & Core Standards

Statutory RuleCurrent Standard (Great Britain)
Service RequirementDay 1 Right (No 26-week wait)
Annual Request LimitMaximum 2 statutory requests per 12 months
Concurrent RequestsOnly 1 live statutory request at a time
Decision Deadline2 Months (including internal appeal)
Mandatory ConsultationEmployer must consult before refusing

8 Statutory Business Reasons for Refusal

An employer may refuse a request only for one or more of the following 8 statutory business grounds:

1. Burden of additional costs
2. Inability to reorganise work among existing staff
3. Inability to recruit additional staff
4. Detrimental impact on quality
5. Detrimental impact on performance
6. Detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand
7. Insufficient work during the proposed working periods
8. Planned structural changes to the employer’s business

Legal Protection & Equality Act Interaction

Employees are legally protected against detriment or dismissal for making or intending to make a statutory flexible working request.

If flexible working is requested due to a disability, the employer’s separate duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 applies alongside the flexible working procedure.

Frequently Asked Questions (6 Detailed FAQs)

Yes. In England, Scotland and Wales, an employee has the statutory right to make a flexible working request from Day 1 of employment. It is a right to request, not an automatic right to have the request accepted.

An employee can make up to 2 statutory flexible working requests during any 12-month period, but can only have one live request with the same employer at a time.

The employer must make and communicate the decision, including any appeal, within a maximum of 2 months from the date the request is received, unless a longer period is agreed.

Yes. The employer can refuse only for one or more of the 8 statutory business reasons, such as additional costs, inability to reorganise work, or impact on quality or customer demand.

No. You do not have to explain what effect you think the proposed change would have on your employer or how that effect could be dealt with.

An employer must handle the request reasonably and must not subject an employee to detriment or dismissal for making a statutory request. Reasonable adjustment duties for disabled employees apply separately under the Equality Act.

Official GOV.UK & Acas Sources

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Key Flexible Working Metrics

Day 1 Statutory RightYes
Max Requests / 12 Mo2 Requests
Live Requests Limit1 Live Request
Employer Decision Window2 Months Max

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