As of April 6, 2024, a significant change in the workplace, granting employees the legal right to request flexible working arrangements from the very first day of their employment, came into force.

This development marks a shift towards more adaptable and personalised working conditions, reflecting the evolving dynamics of the modern workplace. It aims to provide employees with the opportunity to more effectively balance their professional and personal lives, potentially leading to increased job satisfaction, productivity, and overall well-being.

This change underscores the UK's commitment to fostering a more inclusive, flexible, and supportive work environment, aligning with global trends towards workplace flexibility and employee empowerment.

Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, and co-chair of the Government’s Flexible Working Taskforce, comments:

“This new day-one right stands to benefit millions of people, helping them to balance their work and life commitments and give them more say and more opportunity in where and how they work. Flexibility around time, scheduling and place of work can be transformative in opening up opportunities for people to get into and stay in work, especially those who have health conditions, caring responsibilities, or other life choices they want to make. With an aging population, and rising levels of economically inactive people due to ill health, flexible working is more important than ever, and has been shown to support better wellbeing, making it good for individuals as well as organisations.”

“The pandemic accelerated the understanding of flexible working, and the demand for it, and many organisations have responded positively by introducing more flexible working policies. Employees are often better able to balance their work needs with their personal life, while employers report being able to recruit and retain a more diverse workforce which can flex to business needs. Managed well, it’s a win-win for both.”

“While many organisations will already be familiar with remote and hybrid working, this new right can help to normalise conversations about flexibility in all its forms. Organisations should see it as positive encouragement for how jobs and workplaces can be shaped to support different forms of flexible working. Being proactive in providing different ways people can work flexibly will be crucial in ensuring that all employees have access to flexible opportunities. This will be particularly important for those in roles that tie them to a place of work, who don’t have the option to work from home.

“We’ve been calling for this day-one right since February 2021 through the CIPD’s ‘Flex from First’ campaign. I’m delighted to see this change come into force now and look forward to continuing to champion flexible working through the work of the CIPD and the Government Taskforce, and through the wider people profession.”