Any employee can make a request for flexible working in relation to the hours they work, the times they begin/ finish work or their place of work. However, only employees with at least 26 weeks’ continuous service have a statutory right to make such a request to their employer and they can only make one statutory request in any 12 month period.

Before 5 April 2015, the right only applied to the parents of children under 17 or 18 in the case of parents of disabled children or to those caring for an adult. However, now any eligible employee can apply to work flexibly for any reason. In terms of responding to flexible working requests, employers should consider the guidance issued by the Labour Relations Agency.