The University has refreshed its Flexible Working Policy to reflect recent legislative changes and incorporate interim arrangements which have been in place since 6 April 2024.
This refresh also includes the principles related to flexible retirement, consolidating all relevant information into a single policy. The previous Flexible Retirement Policy has been archived.
New Flexible Working SharePoint pages provide a central resource for accessing the refreshed policy, request forms, and updated guidance. It also includes a suite of template letters for line managers to support with handling requests.
Reminder of the recent legislative changes:
For all employees:
- You can make a formal flexible working request from day one of your employment.
- You can make up to two formal flexible working requests in a 12- month period (one live request at any one time).
- You no longer need to explain the potential impact of your proposed change on the University or how it could be managed.
For Line Managers:
- You must hold a consultation meeting with your employee to discuss any formal flexible working request as soon as possible after receiving it. A request cannot be refused without a consultation.
- You must ensure the entire flexible working request process is complete within two months, from receipt of the formal request to any appeal outcome.
Do I need to do anything?
While these legislative changes have been in effect since 6 April 2024, and should already be reflected in current practices, we encourage all employees, especially line managers to visit and explore the new SharePoint pages. This resource has been designed to support understanding and implementation of the policy and related processes.
If you are a line manager, you will need to ensure that all flexible working requests are documented on either the ‘Formal Flexible Working Request’ form or the ‘Informal Flexible Working Discussion Outcome’ form before completing the ServiceNow form to update HR records.
Should you have any questions, please contact AskHR.