Stating your case for flexible working

If you’ve ever been jealous of your colleagues who have enjoyed flexible working because they have children or had care obligations, then you will have been pleased by the Government’s announcement last year giving you the right to request flexible working, whatever your circumstance.  As of the 30^th of June 2014, you can now state your case for flexible working with your employer.  Whilst it’s as daunting as asking for a pay rise or promotion, we want to help you through it with some excellent tips on how to make a claim for flexible working below.

What Is Flexible Working?

Whilst flexible working sounds like a great term, you may not be wholly familiar with what it is.  Flexible working includes:

• Job Sharing – in which two people share the hours associated with one job
• Working from home – where an individual can either work from home all the time or do part of their work either at home or somewhere outside of the office or workplace
• Part time working – working for less hours than full time, either through reduced hours during a day or reduced days during the week
• Flexitime – where employees must work during certain core hours but are able to choose when they start and finish

You could therefore adapt your working patterns in order to find those which suit your preferences as well as your life outside work.

Making Your Case

If you’ve decided that flexible working sounds like something you want to do, then you need to prepare properly. Whilst you are allowed by law to request flexible working, your employer is allowed to reject it.  Plus, you can only make one request every 12 months, therefore if you want to make a case, you need to make it count.  Try the following steps when making your claim.

1. Do your research

Think carefully about how you could benefit from flexible working, how it will improve your job role or not change it for the worse, how it will affect the rest of your colleagues and whether it will have any impact on your organisation.  If you can find positive reasons why flexible working could work for you, you’ll be in with a much better chance of success.

2. Make the request in writing

By putting in your request in writing, you will have a written record which can be used for your records, your employer’s records as well as having hard evidence of your request.  A verbal request could easily be ignored and dismissed.  It is also important that you add specific details of what you’re asking.

3. Arrange a meeting to discuss with your employer

When submitting your request, make an arrangement at the same time to meet with your employer to discuss.  Give them some time to consider your proposal thoroughly before meeting face to face.

4. If you are successful, start making the arrangements

If you need additional equipment or technology to enable you to work at home, start the process to get everything in order. Notify those in your team of your change in working conditions to allow them to adjust accordingly.

5. If unsuccessful, find out why

You have the right to know why your request was rejected.  We recommend that you arrange to discuss with your employer and to think about whether or not your application was fairly considered.  If you believe that it wasn’t you have up to three months to make an appeal.

By providing you with flexible working, your employer will demonstrate that they care about your wellbeing and working conditions, which will in turn lead to more motivated staff that are happy in their roles.  Whilst it may not be for everyone, flexible working can help make your working life more suited to your needs and thus, help you get more out of work, and your life outside of it too.

image courtesy of AlleyWatch