A brand new survey from Acas claims that over two-thirds of workers (70 p.c) usually are not conscious of new versatile working rights that imply they’ll have a proper to request versatile working from their employer from day one in all their job subsequent yr. All workers who’ve labored for his or her employer for 26 weeks or extra at present have the proper to ask if they will work flexibly. A brand new change within the legislation will make this a proper that applies from the primary day of employment.
Acas says it should produce a brand new statutory Code of Follow on dealing with requests for versatile working to assist employers and workers by way of this alteration and different reforms, which will likely be launched subsequent yr.
Acas Chief Government, Susan Clews, mentioned: “There was a considerable shift in versatile working globally, which has allowed extra folks to raised stability their working lives and employers have additionally benefitted from being a sexy place to work. It is vital for bosses and employees to be ready for brand new adjustments to the legislation round the proper to request versatile working, which will likely be coming into power subsequent yr.
“Acas has simply consulted on a brand new draft Code of Follow, which strengthens good apply on versatile working and addresses necessary upcoming adjustments to the legislation. The ultimate new Code will likely be revealed subsequent yr.”
The day one proper to request versatile working will come into power on 6 April 2024. Further legislation reforms on versatile working which are outlined within the Employment Relations (Versatile Working) Act 2023 are anticipated to return in on the similar time.
Acas’s draft statutory Code of Follow on dealing with requests for versatile working consists of data on:
- who needs to be allowed to accompany an worker at conferences to debate a versatile working request
- the necessity for transparency about causes for rejecting a request
- making it clear that employers ought to proactively provide an attraction the place a request has been rejected
The session on this new draft Code has now closed and a closing model of the Code will likely be revealed subsequent yr.
Learn the draft Code on dealing with requests for versatile working
