The trouble with flexible working

This can include flexibility on how long, where and when they work and can include practices such as going part-time, job-sharing or working from home. From tomorrow this right will be extended to all staff with 26 week’s service, meaning employers could face a rush of requests from workers eager to improve their work-life balance.

Fraser Younson, an employment law specialist and partner at the law firm Squire Patton Boggs, said: “We’ve already started to see an increase in the number of grievances filed by people who feel they are having to make up the work of colleagues working flexibly because they have children.

Research by the firm revealed that 84pc of employers expect the expanded right to request flexible working to cause resentment among staff, and 58pc predict the change will adversely affect the day-to-day running of businesses.

Companies have the right to refuse a request for flexible working if there is a valid business reason, such as the changes creating extra costs.

However, Mr Younson said government guidance about the law was so vague that employers won’t know how to act.

“It says all requests should be considered equally but what if one request is from a parent and one is from an athlete who wants to train every day?” he said.

The firm’s research also said that while larger companies may have the resources to counter the effects of flexible working, smaller business will be hit.

Vanessa Hogan, counsel in law firm Hogan Lovells, said: “Managing competing requests could pose some tricky employee relations issues.”

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