If you keep your finger on the pulse of the working world, you’ve no doubt noticed that countless people are choosing to work in a slightly different way to how they may have worked in the past. 

Our situations change, perhaps we gain more responsibility at home, or maybe we simply want to jet off and explore the world, but find ourselves grounded because we need to earn cash along the way. 

Those situations are extremely different and perhaps even impossible in many cases, but with flexible working, the whole thing becomes extremely do-able. 

What is Flexible Working?

Flexible working doesn’t mean that you work when you want to, as the name might slightly suggest, but it does mean that you can work in a more flexible way. Perhaps you want to work from home and set up your own office with funky office furniture. Maybe you want to work from another country altogether, as you move around and sightsee to your heart’s content. Perhaps you’re not sure whether you want to work from home full-time and you’d like the option to work partly in the contemporary office and partly from your home office.

These situations are more likely and more mainstream nowadays, thanks to the rise of flexible working.

Check out this TED talk video by Justin Jones which talks about the rise of this different way of working. 

If an employee wants to work differently, they need to submit a flexible working request to their employer. 

The Ins And Outs of The Flexible Working Request

Employers are not duty-bound to accept a flexible working request from an employee, but they do have to consider it carefully and give a solid business reason if they choose to refuse it. You also have to bear in mind that if an employee has a request turned down, they might choose to leave the business and work for a company who are more flexible and accepting of these requests. For that reason, many businesses choose to accept requests and do their best to make it all work. 

A flexible working request is an official request to work in a specific way. Employees should check their company policies and procedures on how to actually put a request forward and to ensure they follow the right instructions and guidelines. The paperwork has to be given to their line manager or designated person and it needs to include all information. 

This also includes how the employee proposes to work, e.g. from home or remotely, and any information they can give to ensure that the business will not be detrimentally affected. That means it’s a good idea to think about how your new working practice will affect your business, whilst you’re away from your office desk and put forth suggestions on how that can be counteracted and improved. 

The more information you give and the more suggestions you put forward, the more likely it is that an employer will say ‘yes’. 

It’s not just the employee who benefits here, as there are many benefits of flexible working to a business too. The chance to retain highly qualified and experienced staff is the main one, but high morale and extra productivity follow closely behind. Of course, there are a few downsides too, but these can usually be side-stepped with careful consideration.