This guide is for internationals who have recently started work in the United Kingdom and want to understand how asking for a change to their working pattern works. After reading it, you will know who can ask, what can be requested, and what an employer must do when it receives a request.
Who can ask
According to the official GOV.UK page on flexible working, all employees have the legal right to request flexible working. The same page states that employees can make a request from their first day in a job. For someone who has just arrived and started a new post, that means no minimum period of service is mentioned on the page.
Two points about scope are worth knowing. First, the page says flexible working rules are different in Northern Ireland. This guide follows the GOV.UK page, which does not set out separate rules for Scotland or Wales, so anyone working in those nations should check the official guidance for their location. Second, the page speaks of employees. It does not explain how the right applies to agency workers, contractors or the self-employed, so employment status is something to confirm from the contract and from official guidance.
The right is a right to request. It is not a right to receive. The employer decides, within the rules described below.
The official page does not discuss visas or immigration conditions. Anyone with a specific immigration question about a change in hours, days or work location should ask an adviser regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) or a solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
What you can ask for
The GOV.UK page defines flexible working as a way of working that suits an employee’s needs. Its examples are flexible start and finish times, or working from home. It then lists the changes an employee can request:
- the number of hours they work
- when they start or finish work
- the days they work
- where they work
The page calls this process making a statutory application. The term can be useful to know, because it separates a formal request under the law from an informal chat with a manager about an occasional change. The page does not say whether an employer must offer informal arrangements, so those depend on the employer’s own policies and the contract.
The four categories cover a wide range of arrangements. A change to hours covers working more or fewer hours. A change to start and finish times covers a different daily pattern. A change to days covers which days of the week are worked. A change to place covers, for example, working from home. The page does not give further detail on how any of these should be described in a request.
Making a request
The official page gives the right, the four types of change and the employer’s duties. It does not set out several practical details, and this guide does not guess at them. These details are not stated on the page used here:
- whether a request must be in writing, or what it must contain
- how many requests an employee can make
- how long an employer has to respond
- any rules about trial periods or temporary changes
For these points, the page points readers to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) code of practice on flexible working requests. Employer handbooks and HR policies may also describe an internal process. Where a handbook and the law differ, the law as described by GOV.UK and Acas is the reference point, and an adviser can say how they fit together.
Because the page says a request can be made from the first day, a newcomer is not expected to wait through a probation period before using the right. The page does not say how an employer should treat a request made during a probation period, so that question goes to Acas or to a solicitor.
How an employer must answer
The central rule on the page is that employers must deal with requests in a reasonable manner. The page gives three examples of what that looks like:
- assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the application
- discussing possible alternatives to the request
- offering an appeal process
These are examples, not a complete checklist. The Acas code of practice, which the page tells readers to consult, is the source for more detail on what good handling involves.
An employer can refuse an application if it has a good business reason for doing so. The page does not list which reasons count as good ones, so it does not say in advance which refusals are lawful. It also does not say that an employer must accept a request just because the employee has a personal reason for it.
If an employer does not handle a request in a reasonable manner, the page says the employee can take it to an employment tribunal. Note the wording: the route is linked to how the request was handled, not simply to the fact that it was refused. The page does not state a deadline for starting a tribunal claim, and does not explain the tribunal process. Anyone considering that step can ask Acas, or a solicitor regulated by the SRA, about timing and procedure.
FAQ
Can I ask for flexible working in my first week?
Yes, according to the GOV.UK page. It states that employees can make a request for flexible working from their first day in a job. The page does not describe any waiting period.
Does my employer have to say yes?
No. The law gives employees the right to make a request, and the employer must handle it in a reasonable manner. The page states that an employer can refuse if it has a good business reason for doing so.
Do the same rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
The GOV.UK page says flexible working rules are different in Northern Ireland, and it links to separate guidance for that nation. The page does not describe differences for Scotland or Wales, so employees there can check the official guidance for their own nation before relying on this guide.
What happens if my employer does not handle my request properly?
The page says that if an employer does not handle a request in a reasonable manner, the employee can take them to an employment tribunal. It does not give time limits or describe the process. Acas, or a solicitor regulated by the SRA, can explain those details, and an OISC-regulated adviser or a solicitor can answer any immigration question linked to a change in working pattern.
Official sources: gov.uk
Last verified: 13 November 2026 against the official pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the official page always wins.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Immigration advice in the UK may only be given by advisers regulated by the OISC or by solicitors regulated by the SRA.
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