How flexible working regulations are changing this year
Authored by DAS
The Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023
Amendments to the current flexible working legislation will come into force this year. Any flexible working applications made on or after 6 April 2024 must be dealt with in accordance with the Regulations.
What does this look like?
The right to make a flexible working request will be a day one right for employees so this means on their first day of employment they can make a request. Previously an employee could only make a formal flexible working request when they had been employed for 26 continuous weeks.
An employee will have the right to make two requests in any 12-month period but cannot if another application to the same employer is proceeding.
A request cannot be refused unless the employee consults with the employee first. The time for an employer to make their decision has been reduced to two months.
What should employers do?
It will be important for employers to review their current flexible working procedures and make necessary amendments to ensure the procedure is compliant with the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023.
Employers should also update their staff on these changes, especially managers who have the responsibility to deal with such requests.
About DAS Group
The DAS UK Group comprises an insurance company (DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Ltd), a law firm (DAS Law), and an after the event (ATE) legal expenses division.
DAS UK introduced legal expenses insurance (LEI) in 1975, protecting individuals and businesses against the unforeseen costs involved in a legal dispute. In 2018 it wrote more than seven million policies.
The company offers a range of insurance and assistance add-on products suitable for landlords, homeowners, motorists, groups and business owners, while it’s after the event legal expenses insurance division offers civil litigation, clinical negligence and personal injury products. In 2013, DAS also acquired its own law firm – DAS Law – enabling it to leverage the firm’s expertise to provide its customers with access to legal advice and representation.
DAS UK is part of the ERGO Group, one of Europe’s largest insurance groups (the majority shareholder in ERGO is Munich Re, one of the world’s largest reinsurers).