Company bosses will be mandated to meet with employees who request flexible working and provide justifications for any refusals, under new rights announced by First Secretary of State Louise Haigh on Tuesday. Speaking at the TUC conference, Ms Haigh stated that employers would have to “properly consider” requests for flexibility and offer a face-to-face meeting.
Ms Haigh highlighted that while not every job can be done remotely and not every request can be granted, “every request can be taken seriously.” She added that if an employer wishes to decline a request, they will need to sit down with the employee, properly consider it, and explain their reasoning.
These new rules build on existing regulations which give employees a legal right to request flexible working, requiring employers to consider such requests in a “reasonable manner.”