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Statutory flexible working request (Great Britain)
England, Scotland and Wales · in English · for employees
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For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who wants to change their hours, days or place of work — part-time, compressed hours, home or hybrid working: a dated, written statutory request under section 80F of the Employment Rights Act 1996, giving your present pattern, the change and when it should start, and saying whether you made another request in the last 12 months. It is a right from your first day, and the employer must decide within two months. 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
- After maternity leave you want to go part-time at your job in England.
- You want to work from home two days a week and your employer wants a formal request.
- You want to start and finish earlier because of childcare.
- You want to ask your employer in Wales or Scotland for compressed hours over four days.
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)
- Your working pattern now (hours, days, place)
- The change you are asking for (hours, days, place)
- Date you would like the change to start
- Reasons or how the change could work, if you want to give them (optional)
- Another statutory request in the last 12 months
- Date of that earlier request (only if there was one)
Common questions
- Who can make a statutory flexible working request, and how often?
- Every employee, from their first day in the job, since 6 April 2024. You can make two statutory requests in any 12 months; each must be in writing, dated, say that it is a statutory request, describe the change and when it should start, and say whether and when you made an earlier one. You no longer have to explain the effect on the business. Acas's Code of Practice and guidance on handling requests are free.
- On what grounds can an employer refuse a flexible working request?
- Only for one or more of eight business reasons: extra costs; harm to meeting customer demand; inability to reorganise work among existing staff; inability to recruit extra staff; harm to quality; harm to performance; not enough work at the times proposed; planned structural changes. The employer must consult you first. The Employment Rights Act 2025 adds a test that the refusal is reasonable, from a date listed for October 2027.
- What can I do if my flexible working request is refused or ignored?
- Ask to appeal: the Acas Code expects the employer to allow one, and the two-month decision period includes it. If the employer did not consult you, decided late, relied on incorrect facts or refused for a reason outside the eight, you can complain to an employment tribunal after Acas early conciliation, within the tribunal time limit; the award is up to eight weeks' pay, subject to the statutory cap on a week's pay. A refusal can also be discriminatory, which is a separate claim.
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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Related documents
- Appeal against a refused flexible working request (Great Britain)
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.
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