Flexible working - the facts
“Flexible working” describes any working pattern adapted to suit both your particular
needs and those of your employer, in terms of time (e.g. part-time work) and location (e.g. working from home) and includes the following:
- Part-time: being contracted to work less than standard, basic, full-time hours, perhaps by working fewer days per week or by working fewer hours per day.
- Flexi-time: this is where you have the freedom to work the hours you choose, usually outside a set core of hours determined by the employer. Many jobs in the public sector, such as a role within local government, now offer flexi-time as standard.
- Job sharing: one full-time job is split between two workers who agree the hours between themselves. Often each worker takes on specific responsibilities within the role, so that each person can do the parts of the job they enjoy more and play to their strengths.
- Home working: if this is offered, you could spend all or part of your week working from home or somewhere else away from the employer's premises.
- Term-time working: this can cover other sectors in addition to education or academia. If negotiated, you would remain on a permanent contract throughout the year, but you would take either paid or unpaid leave during school holidays.
- Annualised hours: this is where your contracted hours are calculated over a whole year. Often, whilst the majority of shifts are allocated, the remaining hours are kept in reserve so that you could be called in at short notice as required.
- Compressed working hours: if working compressed hours, you can cover your total number of hours in fewer working days, for example, meaning that you regularly take Fridays off.
- Staggered hours: different starting, break and finishing times for employees in the same workplace, allowing a business to open longer hours.
You can combine any of these working patterns to come up with something to suit
your own and your employer’s circumstances.
Who can ask for fleible working?
Although anyone can ask their employer for flexible work arrangements, the government
has introduced a statutory right in order to encourage work life balance for families.
Provided you are an employee (but not an agency worker or in the armed forces)
and have worked for your employer for 26 weeks continuously, you have the statutory
right to ask for flexible working arrangements if you:
- have a child under six or a disabled child under 18;
- are responsible for the child as a parent/guardian/foster parent, AND
- you are applying for flexible work arrangements in order to care for the child.
From April 2007, you also have the statutory right to ask for flexible working
arrangements if you:
- are a carer who cares, or expects to be caring, for a spouse, partner, civil partner or relative OR
- you live at the same address as the person being cared for.
By law, your employer must seriously consider any application you make, but they
don't have to agree if they can prove that there is a good business reason not
to. Remember, you only have the statutory right to ask for flexible working, not
the right to have it.
Further information:
The Direct Gov website has a really useful overview of your statuory rights, including
Help available
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) offers free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment rights
issues, to both employees and employers. The ACAS helpline - 08457 47 47 47 is open from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday.
Working Families (formerly Parents At Work and New Ways to Work) is the UK’s leading work-life
balance organisation. They help and give a voice to working parents and carers,
whilst also helping employers create workplaces which encourage work-life balance
for everyone. They offer a free helpline for low income families on 0800 013 0313 and their website has lots of helpful fact sheets on all aspects of work life
balance, including flexible working and statutory rights at work.
Your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can also provide free and impartial advice.
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