How To Manage A Flexible Working Policy

Flexible working refers to a work schedule that can be adjusted outside of the traditional 9-to-5 office presence. It allows employees to vary their working hours, location, or work patterns to better suit their personal needs and lifestyle.

Examples include remote work, compressed workweeks, flexitime, job sharing and part-time arrangements. It aims to support work-life balance, improve productivity and enhance employee satisfaction while still meeting business goals.

This article provides insight into managing a flexible work policy, discussing the benefits and challenges for employers and employees.

What is the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act?

The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act is UK legislation designed to enhance employees’ rights to request flexible working arrangements and ensure that employers respond more promptly and transparently to such requests.

The Act reflects a growing societal shift towards valuing work-life balance, inclusivity and autonomy in the workplace. It aims to support both employees and employers in creating adaptive, forward-thinking work environments.

What Changes Have Come Into Force in the 2024 Flexible Working Act?

The 2024 Flexible Working Act introduces key changes to make flexible working more accessible from the outset of employment. This includes:

Requests From Day One Confirmed

Employees are now entitled to request flexible working from the very first day of employment. This shift signals a move toward more inclusive hiring practices, enabling applicants to negotiate work arrangements that align with their lifestyle and responsibilities.

By allowing early requests, businesses can accommodate diverse needs upfront, enhancing candidate appeal and reducing onboarding friction.

This change also demonstrates a commitment to modern workforce expectations, where flexibility is favoured. Employers should prepare to handle such requests reasonably and consistently to avoid discrimination claims and provide a culture of openness from the beginning.

Two Requests Per Year

The 2024 Act now permits two requests per year, acknowledging the evolving and dynamic nature of work-life needs. This update, which previously allowed only one flexible request per year, now enables employees to adjust their schedules as circumstances change, whether due to family, educational, health or commuting challenges.

For employers, this means maintaining efficient tracking systems and sticking to consistent communication protocols to manage multiple requests effectively. While this change may increase administrative responsibilities, it ensures that requests are handled fairly, which helps boost employee morale and retention.

Two-Month Response Deadline Including Appeal

The new legislation includes management reducing the response timeframe from three months to two. This, therefore, requires employers to act more swiftly when assessing, consulting on and responding to employees’ flexible working requests.

Not only does an organised and prompt approach demonstrate respect for employee needs, but it also demonstrates compliance with legal requirements.

Any requests that are not handled promptly will lead to dissatisfaction among employees, ultimately fostering distrust between staff and leadership. To prevent this from occurring, HR teams will need to streamline their internal procedures, train managers on prompt decision-making and establish clear appeal protocols.

No Requirement for Employees to Explain Business Impact

One of the most significant shifts in the 2024 flexible working policy is the removal of the employees’ obligation to explain how their flexible working requests might impact the business. While it may seem like a loss of context, it aligns with broader goals of equality and accessibility.

Employers should develop fair and transparent assessment criteria to evaluate each employee’s requests on their merits. HR teams are expected to guide managers in balancing operational needs with reasonable accommodations, ensuring that decisions are lawful, unbiased and supportive of workplace inclusivity.

Mandatory Reasoned Refusals on Statutory Grounds

While employees may not have to explain the impact their flexible working request may have on the business, employers must provide a clear, reasoned explanation as to why they have refused an employee’s flexible working request. This requirement provides greater accountability and helps prevent erratic or discriminatory decisions.

Offering alternative suggestions or compromises can demonstrate a willingness to support flexibility, even if the original request isn’t feasible due to statutory grounds, such as cost, performance or impact on customer service.

This approach helps maintain positive employee relations and ensures compliance with legal requirements. To provide empathy and professionalism, all employers should receive training on how to handle refusals with sensitivity.

Ways in Which Management Can Manage Flexible Working Policy Within the Workplace?

Assessment and Buy-in

Any improvement plan and subsequent implementation require an understanding of the opportunity and risks. At all layers of the organisation, the benefits of a flexible working policy may be obvious to some, whilst others may have doubts.

An assessment is therefore crucial to understanding the areas of the business that are suited to flexible working arrangements, any adaptations required and when physical presence is required. Following policy derivation, obtaining the buy-in of all staff will maximise the chances for a successful implementation.

Establish Clear Guidelines

Managers should communicate policies regarding flexible working arrangements to all employees. These guidelines should outline who is eligible, how to request flexible work arrangements, performance expectations and protocols for communication. Written policies ensure consistency, transparency and legal compliance.

Managers should provide employees with access to these documents and regularly review them in staff meetings to ensure they reflect business changes. This can help to reduce ambiguity and support fair treatment across teams, ensuring that flexibility doesn’t lead to operational inefficiencies.

Use Technology Tools

Technology plays a vital role in making flexible working successful. Time-tracking and scheduling apps can help keep track of hours worked and manage shift changes. A flexible roster system is beneficial for accommodating various work arrangements, as it allows managers to plan shifts according to staff availability and business needs.

They can also be updated quickly, making it easy to swap shifts and show who is working and when. This helps ensure there’s sufficient coverage and supports a better work-life balance while also maintaining fairness.

All employers and employees should receive training to ensure that all staff members can access and use systems effectively. Utilising the right technology enables teams to stay connected and collaborate, regardless of their physical location.

Provide Manager Training

Complexities in today’s workplace make training an essential component of business, and the implementation of flexible work policies often requires changes in leadership and management styles. Training should be provided to aid the transition and help managers understand the required approach to flexible working.

Ideally, training should focus on outcome-based management, practical communication skills, empathy and the use of digital tools. Managers must learn to allocate work and assess performance based on results rather than physical presence. Workshops, peer learning and mentoring can help managers understand how to support diverse employee needs while maintaining team cohesion, even when a flexible working policy is in place.

Training should also address unconscious bias, particularly when managing hybrid teams, to ensure that physically present workers are not favoured over remote workers and vice versa.

Equipping managers with these skills will build confidence and consistency across functions and departments, reinforcing a positive culture. Well-trained leaders are essential for navigating the complexities of flexible working while sustaining engagement and productivity.

Regular Check-ins and Feedback

For flexible working arrangements to succeed, effective communication is essential to support working policies and be tailored to the specific arrangements. Regular one-on-one and team check-ins ensure alignment on goals, workloads and well-being, providing opportunities for managers to offer support, recognise wins and address any issues early.

Feedback loops, formal or informal, allow employees to express concerns and suggest improvements.

Since the advent of cloud technology, numerous productivity and communication tools have been introduced to support remote and collaborative work. For example, video calls and instant messaging help to maintain connections and collaborations.

Close collaboration between physically present and remote workers builds trust, motivation and transparency. It also reinforces accountability, ensures objectives are being met and supports an inclusive culture for all.

Evaluate and Adapt

Introducing a flexible working policy requires leadership to be considerate of change. It is not realistic to expect the introduction of static policies to be an overnight success or to continue to perform well as the organisation changes. Instead, a flexible working policy should evolve based on feedback, performance data and changing business needs.

Surveys, KPIs and feedback sessions can be used to assess the impact of arrangements on productivity, engagement and retention. Flexibility should be viewed as a dynamic strategy, and organisations that remain open to change can fine-tune their policies to suit evolving workforce preferences and market conditions. Adapting policies ensures long-term success, helping the organisation to be competitive and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

6 Benefits of an Effective Flexible Working Policy

Improved Employee Productivity

Employee productivity can be significantly enhanced by allowing individuals to work during their most efficient hours and in environments that they prefer. Removing rigid time constraints and lengthy commutes reduces stress and distractions, leading to improved focus and performance.

With clear expectations and outcome-based evaluations, productivity often increases as employees feel more empowered and motivated. Employers can track results through performance metrics rather than attendance.

Enhance Employee Retention and Attraction

In today’s competitive job market, flexibility is often a key factor for candidates evaluating job offers. Offering flexible working can attract top talent and retain experienced employees. Employees who feel their personal needs are understood and respected are more likely to stay long-term, reducing turnover and overall recruitment costs.

It enhances employer branding. Additionally, appealing to a diverse range of demographics, including parents, students, caregivers and others, expands the talent pool from which candidates can be selected. By offering adaptable work arrangements, businesses signal inclusivity and forward-thinking, which boosts loyalty, job satisfaction and overall stability.

Better Work-Life Balance

One of the most desired outcomes of flexible working is improved work-life balance. This is true for almost everyone. Employees who can tailor their work commitments to accommodate personal responsibilities tend to experience reduced stress and improved mental health.

Whether it’s attending a child’s school event, managing medical appointments or simply having time for hobbies, flexible work allows employees to lead fuller, healthier lives. This balance leads to higher morale and better performance at work. As a result, attendance issues such as absenteeism and presenteeism will be reduced, contributing to a more productive workforce.

Reduced Operational Costs

Reduced costs are a significant factor for increasing profit, and implementing flexible working can significantly lower overheads. With remote and hybrid models, businesses may need less office space, furniture and utilities. Companies can downsize or adopt hot-desking to reduce office costs.

Additionally, fewer in-office employees result in lower costs related to maintenance, commuting subsidies, office supplies and on-site amenities. It can also lead to a more efficient use of resources during off-peak hours. These savings can be reinvested into employee benefits, technology upgrades or business development.

Increased Diversity and Inclusion

Flexible working policies can help in removing traditional workplace barriers by fostering greater diversity and inclusion. They enable participation from individuals, such as parents, people with disabilities, caregivers, students and those from diverse cultural or geographical backgrounds, who may face challenges with a standard 9-to-5 schedule.

By offering adaptable work structures, organisations create a more inclusive environment that values different lifestyles and circumstances.

This diversity enriches the workplace with varied perspectives, leading to more innovative problem-solving and improved decision-making. Inclusive policies also promote equity, enabling underrepresented groups to succeed and ensuring all employees have equal access to opportunities and opportunities for growth.

Business Continuity and Agility

In times of disruption, flexible working can enhance a company’s resilience. The interruption to business caused by COVID is a great example. Organisations that already had flexible working arrangements in place fared much better than those who did not, with some experiencing minimal disruption to their operations.

Events such as natural disasters, public health crises, or transportation strikes underscore the need for a workforce that can adapt quickly to changing demands, market conditions or client needs. It also supports scalability, making it easier to grow or restructure the organisation.

By embedding flexibility into the company culture, businesses become more agile and future-proof. This readiness not only protects operations but also positions the entire organisation as a proactive and progressive leader in its industry.