How to Write a Letter Requesting Flexible Working UK: A Complete Guide
- James Pite
- 1 day ago
- 11 min read
Since April 2024, every employee in Great Britain has the right to request flexible working from the first day of their employment. You no longer need to have been in a job for six months before making a request. You can ask on day one.
That right means nothing, however, if the request is not made correctly. A statutory flexible working request must be in writing and must meet specific legal requirements. An informal conversation with your manager is not a statutory request and does not trigger your employer’s legal obligations to consider it properly, respond within two months, or give a genuine business reason if they say no.
This guide explains the law as it stands following the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, what your request letter must include, how to write one that gives you the best chance of a yes, and what to do if your employer says no.
What the Law Currently Says
The right to request flexible working is set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, which came into force on 6 April 2024. The changes introduced by that Act, and the accompanying secondary legislation, mean:
All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment, with no qualifying period
Employees can make two statutory requests in any 12-month period, up from one previously
Employers must respond to a statutory request within two months, reduced from three months
Employers must consult the employee before rejecting a request, and cannot simply refuse without discussion
Employees are no longer required to explain what effect their proposed arrangement might have on the employer
The Acas Code of Practice on requests for flexible working, which came into force on the same date, sets out how employers and employees should handle the statutory process. Employment tribunals must take the Code into account when assessing how a request was handled. An employer who fails to follow it unreasonably may face an increased tribunal award.
Note: The right to request is not the same as the right to have the request granted. Employers can still refuse, but only for one or more of eight specific statutory business reasons, and only after consulting with you. An employer who refuses without giving one of those reasons, or whose stated reason is not genuine, may face a tribunal claim.
What Counts as Flexible Working?
Flexible working covers any change to your hours, times or place of work. It is a broader term than many people realise. Common arrangements include:
Reduced hours or part-time working
Compressed hours, for example four longer days instead of five standard ones
Flexitime, where you choose when to start and finish within agreed limits
Staggered hours, for example starting earlier or later than the standard working day
Remote working, working from home either fully or partially
Hybrid working, a set split between office and home
Job sharing, where two people share a full-time role
Term-time working, where you do not work during school holidays
Annualised hours, where your total annual hours are fixed but the pattern varies
You do not need to choose just one. You can request a combination, for example three days per week working from home on compressed hours. Be clear and specific about what you are asking for.
What Your Statutory Request Letter Must Include
For a flexible working request to be a statutory request, triggering your employer’s legal obligations, it must be made in writing and must contain the following:
A statement that it is a statutory request for flexible working
The change you are requesting, described specifically in terms of hours, times or place of work
The date you would like the change to take effect
Whether you have made a previous statutory flexible working request to this employer, and if so when
That is the legal minimum. In practice, a request that only meets the minimum is less likely to succeed than one that is also thoughtful, specific and persuasive. The sections below explain how to go further.
Before You Write: How to Prepare
Be Specific About What You Want
Vague requests are easier to refuse. A request for ‘more flexibility’ gives your employer very little to assess. A request to work three days a week from home and two days in the office, with core hours of 10am to 3pm and flexibility around the edges, gives them something concrete to consider and shows you have thought it through.
Think carefully about exactly what you need and how it would work in practice. The clearer you are, the easier it is for the employer to say yes, and the harder it is for them to raise vague objections.
Think About the Business Impact
Although you are no longer legally required to explain the effect your proposed arrangement might have on the employer, doing so voluntarily strengthens your request. An employer who can see you have considered their perspective is more likely to engage constructively than one who feels the request ignores operational realities.
Think about how your role will be covered during any reduced hours, how you will stay accessible to colleagues and clients, how you will manage your workload, and whether there are any concerns your employer is likely to raise. Addressing those concerns in advance, rather than leaving the employer to imagine problems, significantly improves the chance of agreement.
Check Your Employer’s Policy
Many employers have their own flexible working policy, which may be in your employee handbook or on an internal intranet. Check it before you write. Some policies offer more generous terms than the statutory minimum, for example a shorter response timescale or a formal appeals process. Following the employer’s own procedure where one exists is good practice.
Consider Whether to Have a Conversation First
A letter that arrives with no prior conversation can feel confrontational, even when that is not the intent. If your relationship with your manager is good and the request is straightforward, a brief informal conversation beforehand can smooth the way. You can then follow it up with the statutory written request. The written request is what triggers your legal rights. The conversation is just context.
How to Write the Request Letter
Opening: State It Is a Statutory Request
The letter must make clear this is a statutory request. Use those words explicitly. This is not just formality. It determines whether your employer’s legal obligations are triggered.
I am writing to make a statutory request for flexible working under the Employment Rights Act 1996 as amended by the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023.
Describe the Arrangement You Are Requesting
Be specific about every element of the change. If you want to change your hours, state the new hours precisely. If you want to change your place of work, state where and how often. If you want a combination, describe each element clearly.
I am requesting to move from my current full-time arrangement of five days per week in the office to a hybrid arrangement of three days per week working from home and two days per week in the office. I would like to retain my current contracted hours of 37.5 hours per week, with the split of days to be agreed with my manager based on team requirements.
State the Proposed Start Date
Give a specific date rather than a vague timeframe. Allow enough notice for the employer to consider the request and implement any changes to your contract. Four to eight weeks from the date of the letter is usually reasonable, depending on the role and the nature of the change.
I would like this arrangement to take effect from [date], which allows [X weeks] for this request to be considered and any contractual changes to be made.
Confirm Previous Requests
The letter must state whether you have made a previous statutory flexible working request to this employer and, if so, when. If this is your first request, say so clearly.
I confirm that I have not previously made a statutory flexible working request to [employer name].
Address the Business Impact (Optional But Recommended)
As noted above, you are no longer legally required to do this, but it strengthens your request. Be honest and practical. Acknowledge any genuine operational challenges and explain how you plan to address them.
I have considered the impact of this arrangement on my role and on the team. My core responsibilities include [list key responsibilities]. I believe these can be fully met under the proposed arrangement for the following reasons: [explain why, e.g. the majority of my work is independent, meetings can be scheduled on office days, I will be available by phone and email during all contracted hours regardless of location]. On office days I will ensure I am present for team meetings and collaborative work that benefits from in-person attendance. I am happy to discuss the specific logistics with you and to adapt the arrangement if particular days are more important for the team.
Full Worked Example
[Your name]
[Your job title]
[Your department]
[Date]
[Manager’s name]
[Job title]
[Company name]
Subject: Statutory Request for Flexible Working
Dear [Manager’s name],
I am writing to make a statutory request for flexible working under the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023.
I am requesting to change my working arrangement from five days per week in the office to a hybrid arrangement of three days per week working from home and two days per week in the office. I would like to retain my current contracted hours of 37.5 hours per week. I propose that my office days are [Tuesday and Thursday / to be agreed with you based on team needs], so that I can attend team meetings and collaborative sessions in person.
I would like this arrangement to take effect from [date].
I confirm that I have not previously made a statutory flexible working request to [company name].
I have given careful thought to how this arrangement would work in practice. The majority of my day-to-day responsibilities involve [describe the nature of the work, e.g. independent report writing, client communications, data analysis] which can be carried out equally effectively from home. I will be available on phone and email during all contracted hours, and I will ensure that any work requiring in-person collaboration or access to office resources is scheduled on my office days. I do not anticipate any reduction in output or responsiveness as a result of this change.
I appreciate that you may want to discuss the practicalities of this arrangement, and I am happy to meet at your convenience to talk it through. If there are particular concerns about any aspect of the proposal, I am open to exploring alternatives that might address them.
I understand that you have two months from the date of this letter to consider my request and provide a response. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Contact details]
Adapting the Letter for Different Situations
Requesting Reduced Hours
If you are asking to move from full-time to part-time, state the specific days and hours you want to work and confirm your proposed contracted hours. If there is a particular pattern of days that would work well for the team, suggest it while remaining open to discussion. If childcare or caring responsibilities are driving the request, you do not need to disclose this, but doing so can help the employer understand the context.
Requesting Fully Remote Working
If you are asking to work from home all or most of the time, address the likely objections directly. Explain how you will maintain communication with the team, how you will manage tasks that have previously required office presence, and whether you have a suitable working environment at home. If you have been working remotely during a previous period and your performance was strong, reference this as evidence.
Requesting Flexible Hours Around a Disability
If your request is connected to a disability or health condition, you may have additional protections under the Equality Act 2010 on top of your flexible working rights. Reasonable adjustments to working hours or location can be a form of reasonable adjustment, and your employer’s duty to consider these is separate from and additional to their duty to consider a flexible working request. You can make both requests simultaneously or separately. Consider getting advice from Citizens Advice or Acas before deciding how to frame the request.
What Happens After You Submit the Request
Once your employer receives the statutory request, they have two months to reach a decision and communicate it to you, unless you both agree to extend this. Under the Acas Code of Practice, the employer should arrange to discuss the request with you before making a decision, and must consult you before rejecting it. The Code also recommends that employers allow you to be accompanied at any meeting by a work colleague or trade union representative.
If your employer agrees, they should confirm the new arrangement in writing and update your contract within 28 days of the agreement. The change is permanent unless you and your employer agree otherwise at the time of the request.
If your employer needs more time to consider the request, they can ask you to agree to an extension. You do not have to agree. If you do, get the extension in writing with a clear new deadline.
If Your Employer Says No
Your employer can only refuse a statutory flexible working request for one or more of eight specific business reasons set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996. These are:
The burden of additional costs
A detrimental effect on the ability to meet customer demand
An inability to reorganise work among existing staff
An inability to recruit additional staff
A detrimental impact on quality
A detrimental impact on performance
Insufficient work during the periods the employee proposes to work
Planned structural changes to the business
If your employer refuses without giving one of these reasons, or if the reason given is not genuine, you can take the matter to an employment tribunal. You must apply to Acas for early conciliation before starting a tribunal claim, and there are time limits that apply, so act promptly if you believe the refusal was unlawful.
If the refusal is connected to a protected characteristic such as disability, sex or caring responsibilities, there may also be a discrimination claim available alongside or instead of a flexible working claim. Citizens Advice provides detailed guidance on your options when a flexible working request is refused, including how to challenge the decision and when discrimination law may apply.
Even where there is no legal claim, many employers have an internal appeals process. The Acas Code recommends that employers offer one. If yours does, use it before considering external routes.
Getting Help
Free advice on flexible working rights is available from Acas, whose helpline (0300 123 1100) can advise on whether your request meets the statutory requirements and how to proceed if it is refused. Citizens Advice also provides step-by-step guidance on making a request and challenging a refusal. If you are a trade union member, your union can provide support and representation throughout the process.
If you want help drafting a flexible working request letter that is correctly structured, meets the statutory requirements and makes the strongest possible case for your proposed arrangement, the team at LetterLab can help you get it right before you submit.
Checklist: Before You Submit Your Request
Does the letter state explicitly that this is a statutory request for flexible working?
Have you described the change you are requesting with enough specificity, including hours, days and place of work as applicable?
Have you stated the date you want the arrangement to begin?
Have you confirmed whether you have made a previous statutory request to this employer and when?
Have you voluntarily addressed the business impact and how you plan to manage your role under the new arrangement?
Have you sent the letter by email or recorded post so you have proof of delivery and a dated record?
Have you kept a copy?
Is the request being made within a 12-month period during which you have not already made two statutory requests?
The Key Takeaway: Statutory, Written, Specific
The right to request flexible working from day one is a significant improvement on the previous position. But the right only has legal force if the request is made as a statutory request, in writing, meeting the specific requirements set out in the Employment Rights Act. An informal request, however well received, does not give you the same legal protections.
Write it properly, send it formally and keep a copy. If your employer engages constructively and agrees, make sure the new arrangement is confirmed in writing and reflected in your contract. If they refuse without a genuine business reason or without following the correct process, you have routes to challenge that decision.
The letter is where the legal process starts. Getting it right from the beginning matters.
Comments