Considering a flexible working request

Managers play a critical role in creating and sustaining a flexible working culture. Below are some considerations before you make your decision about a flexible working request. You may also find helpful some key tips and ideas for establishing effective flexible working.

Flexible Working Policy and application form

Step-by-step guide

Arrange an initial conversation to find out more. It is important not to make any presumptions about the request without first speaking to the employee. Talk about options and opportunities. Don’t feel you need to make any commitments at this stage.
Consult the Flexible Working Policy and use this guidance to determine whether the request needs to be considered informally or formally, and to inform next steps
You will need to identify and consider the opportunities and risks, including any current flexible working arrangements you already have in place within the team. Refer to the chapter on Flexible Working within Teams in the Flexible Working Policy.

Manager checklist

You may find it helpful to use this checklist in your discussion with the individual when considering the impact of a particular flexible working request.

The individual's role and the proposed working arrangement

What are the requirements of their role?
Is the workload achievable within the new arrangement?
Does the individual work independently or is there a lot of interaction with students/colleagues/customers?
How might responsibilities need to be altered to suit a change of working arrangement? You may find it helpful to list the individual’s responsibilities and then look at each one in turn. You should look at the individual’s job description and consider what they are doing on a day-to-day basis to be able to assess the situation fully.
Consider deadlines and other dependencies of role, ie. when some activity the individual is responsible for impacts on another job/team and consider how these requirements can be met or whether there might be scope to change the operation of the role.
Consider the individual’s work objectives and think about how these objectives can be measured. If you believe that the measurement of an individual’s performance may have to be changed (eg. because your current methods of measurement won’t work remotely, or targets will have to be adjusted to reflect reduced working hours) think about why and how. Focus on outputs rather than inputs.
How might the request affect continuity of service delivery across the team/with other teams?
Are there aspects of the role and responsibilities which are time and/or location specific that would be affected? How would these be managed? What would be the impact on other team members?

The wider team and the business needs

What flexible working arrangements are already in place? (ie. consider any pre-existing arrangements).
Do you need to speak to the rest of the team to see if they can change their flexible working arrangements to accommodate the new request? Some individuals may be very happy to do this if they no longer need flexibility or the same flexibility that was originally agreed.
How will you make sure that other team members are not adversely affected by agreeing to the flexible working request? Allowing an individual flexibility should not negatively impact someone else.

Other considerations

Consider both the benefits and disadvantages of the proposed change.
Are there any advantages that offset the disadvantages that the individual’s proposed work arrangement may create?
Consider benefits both to the individual and the running of the team/department/section, to the manager/supervisor and other members of the team. Eg. retention of individual who might otherwise leave, improved punctuality and productivity, ability to provide better coverage for students/customers across the whole team.
If a member of staff reduces their hours through flexible working there will be implications to your Department’s budget.
Will the permission of an external funding body be required and is it likely to be given?
Consider any contractual/visa implications with People and Culture.
What technology, equipment or infrastructure requirements would they need.
Would they need any additional training needs?

General enquiries

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