Right to request flexible working open to all.
Flexible working could soon be coming to a desk near you. The Children and Families Act was recently given Royal Assent in Parliament, and from June 2014 all staff will have the right to request flexible working from their employer. Until now, only workers with children under 17, those with disabled children, and those with caring responsibilities had the right to ask their employer to work flexibly.
There are certain conditions which have to be met, as this article from ACAS explains, and the employer only has a duty to consider the application. However this move is likely to lead to a significant increase in the number of people who can take more control over their working lives.