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Appeal against a refused flexible working request (Great Britain)
England, Scotland and Wales · in English · for employees
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12 questions · about 5 min
Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales
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For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland whose statutory request for flexible working has been turned down: a letter appealing against the decision, giving your grounds — a reason outside the eight the law allows, wrong facts, no real consultation — and any alternative you would accept, asking for an appeal meeting with a companion. The whole decision, appeal included, must be made within two months of the request unless you agree longer. Hand it in and email it.
- Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- Your employer in England has turned down your flexible working request and you want to appeal.
- The refusal gives a reason that does not fit your job and you want to challenge it.
- After maternity leave your request for shorter hours was refused and you want to offer a trial period.
- You want to appeal in writing against a refusal of home working in England, Wales or Scotland and ask for a meeting.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Employee
- Employee's address
- Town or city
- Employee's postcode
- Date
- Person at your employer you are writing to, as you would greet them (e.g. Priya Patel)
- Employer
- Employer's postal address (street and number, postcode and town on separate lines)
- Date of the decision
- Date of the request
- Your grounds of appeal (why the decision is wrong)
- An alternative you would accept, e.g. a trial period (optional)
Common questions
- Is there a right to appeal when a flexible working request is refused?
- The Acas Code of Practice on flexible working requests expects employers to allow an appeal, and the law's two-month period for deciding a request includes any appeal. An employer who ignores the Code without good reason makes a later tribunal complaint stronger. Use the appeal to show where the refusal is wrong and to offer a trial period or a different pattern.
- What grounds can I give in an appeal against a flexible working refusal?
- That the reason given is not one of the eight business reasons the law allows; that the employer relied on facts that are wrong; that there was no real consultation; that alternatives, such as a trial period or a different pattern, were not considered; or new information since the decision. If the refusal puts you at a disadvantage linked to sex, disability or another protected characteristic, say so; that may also be discrimination.
- What if my employer does not decide my flexible working appeal in time?
- The whole decision, appeal included, must be made within two months of the request unless you agreed in writing to extend it. If it is late, or the employer did not deal with the request reasonably, you can complain to an employment tribunal after Acas early conciliation, within the time limit. The award is up to eight weeks' pay, with a week's pay capped at £751 from 6 April 2026; a discrimination claim is separate and not capped.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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