Who it is for
Employers responding to a statutory flexible working request under the rules in force now.
What it covers
- Approval, setting out the new arrangement, any change to pay and holiday, and any trial period.
- An agreed alternative arrangement.
- Refusal, naming the statutory ground and why it applies to this request.
- The right of appeal, decided inside the two-month period.
- Guidance on timing, and on disability and caring responsibilities before you refuse.
The law it reflects
Checked against the law in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) as at 19 October 2026.
- The current rules have applied since 6 April 2024: a day-one right to request, up to two requests in any 12 months, consultation before any refusal, and a decision within two months that includes any appeal, unless you agree an extension.
- An agreed change is a permanent change to the contract unless you agree a trial or temporary arrangement.
- Before refusing, check for a link to disability (the duty to make reasonable adjustments applies separately) or to childcare and other caring responsibilities (a refusal can be indirect discrimination unless it is objectively justified).
- The Employment Rights Act 2025 will only let you refuse where a statutory ground applies and it is reasonable to refuse on that ground. The government expects this in autumn 2027. It is not in force yet. Acas is consulting on a revised Code of Practice until 17 December 2026.
Before you use it
It is a starting point, not legal advice. Fill in the placeholders, set your own timescales, and check it fits how your organisation actually works. Take advice if a case is complex, could involve discrimination, or may end up at a tribunal. Northern Ireland has different rules in several areas.
Need more? See the Flexible Working Pack. 13 documents: policy, request form, consultation record, decision and appeal letters, with the 2027 reasonableness test flagged. £79 + VAT, one-off.