Fatima is a site manager at a busy construction firm. Eight years in. Excellent track record. Last month she submitted a formal flexible working request — three days on site, two from home, to manage childcare.
Her manager said no.
No consultation. No consideration of whether the role could accommodate the request. No written explanation. Just no.
Fatima has now put her question in writing.
Since April 2024, employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment. Employers must deal with requests in a reasonable manner, consult with the employee before refusing and provide a written explanation citing one of eight specific business reasons.
“It won’t work” is not one of them.
Fatima hasn’t raised a grievance yet. But she’s Googled her rights. And she found them.
✅ 3 THINGS EVERY MANAGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT FLEXIBLE WORKING REQUESTS
1. Employees can request flexible working from day one — there is no qualifying period anymore.
2. You must consult before refusing — a flat no without a conversation is a procedural failure.
3. Any refusal must cite one of eight specific statutory reasons — “it doesn’t suit us” is not a defence.
At People Vision HR we help businesses build flexible working policies and train managers to handle requests properly — so when Fatima asks why, you have an answer that holds up.
Before a reasonable request becomes an unreasonable claim.