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Appeal against a refused flexible working request (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English · for employees
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For an employee in Northern Ireland whose flexible working application has been turned down: a written, dated notice of appeal setting out your grounds — a reason outside the business grounds the law allows, wrong facts, no real discussion — and any alternative you would accept. The appeal goes in within 14 days of the decision; the employer must then hold an appeal meeting within 14 days and decide within 14 days after it. Hand it in and email it.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- 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 Northern Ireland turned down your request to work fewer hours.
- The reason given for refusing your request does not ring true and you want to challenge it.
- You were refused home working without any real discussion of what you proposed.
- You want to appeal in writing against the refusal of your flexible working request.
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
- How long do I have to appeal a refused flexible working request in Northern Ireland?
- Fourteen days after the employer gives you notice of its decision. The appeal must be in writing, set out your grounds and be dated (Flexible Working (Procedural Requirements) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003). The employer must then hold a meeting to hear it within 14 days, and give you its decision in writing within 14 days after that meeting; the periods can be extended by agreement. The Labour Relations Agency's free guide explains each step.
- What grounds can I give in an appeal against a flexible working refusal in Northern Ireland?
- That the reason given is not one of the business grounds the law allows; that the employer relied on facts that are wrong; that there was no real discussion; 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 under Northern Ireland's equality law, on which the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland advises free.
- What if an employer in Northern Ireland does not follow the flexible working procedure?
- You can complain to an industrial tribunal if the employer missed a step or a time limit of the procedure, refused for a reason outside the business grounds, or based the decision on incorrect facts. Notify the Labour Relations Agency for early conciliation first; the complaint normally goes in within three months of the breach or of the appeal decision. The award is up to eight weeks' pay, with a week's pay capped at £783 from 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
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