Watch our short video for more detail on flexible working
Flexible working after maternity leave
Caring for a dependant
A better work-life balance
Flexible working has become a lot more common in the workplace these days and anybody can apply for flexible working now. So here’s three examples of when that might occur:
- An individual returning from maternity leave might request a different working pattern when they come back.
- You might have somebody who cares for dependants, that might be an elderly relative or somebody with a disability who needs a little bit more flexibility with their working hours.
- You might have somebody who just wants a better work-life balance.
Now there’s a set process for going through a flexible working application, and in certain scenarios there are a specific number of legal reasons that you can decline a request, so its really important to get the process correct.
Ideally, you should have a policy and a template form for employees to use to make requests, as this ensures you receive all the information you need to carefully consider your employee’s request, and you need to meet with your employee to discuss this in detail.
If you do accept, you should confirm this in writing, including any deadline dates, as this ensures everyone understands the arrangement.
If you do decide to decline, you should document your reasons for this in writing so that your employee fully understands why their request is not viable.
Do you have questions about flexible working?
Give us a call at CUBE HR, we’ll be happy to advise you and we have policies and templates available to meet every HR need.
Why not check out our other blog on the same topic Why is Flexibility Important in the Workplace?
You can also watch a range of other videos on our YouTube channel
