On what grounds can a request for flexible working be refused?
Employers have a duty to consider requests seriously and can refuse only where one of the following business reasons apply: • the burden of additional costs • detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand • inability to re-organise work among existing staff • inability to recruit additional staff • detrimental impact on quality • detrimental impact on performance • insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work • planned structural changes If a change is agreed, it will be permanent and there will be no right to revert back to the former arrangement.
