Free Flexible Working Request Letter Generator

Type of Flexible Working

Your Details

Your Full Name *

Your Job Title

Department

Manager / Recipient Name *

Manager Title

Company Name

Start Date with Company

Requested Start Date

Request Details

Current Working Arrangement

Proposed New Arrangement *

Duration

Have you made a flexible working request before?

Your Business Case

Primary reason for request *

Additional context (optional but strengthens your case)

How will your role be covered / impacted? *

Country / Employment Framework

Tone

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Fill in your details and click Generate Request Letter to create a professional flexible working request.

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Flexible Working Strategy

How to Make Your Flexible Working Request Succeed

Lead with business value, not personal need

The strongest flexible working requests reframe the ask as a business case, not a personal favour. Instead of "I need this for childcare," lead with "This arrangement will maintain full output while reducing office overheads." Both are true but one is more persuasive to a manager focused on delivery.

Propose a trial period

Asking for a permanent change immediately increases the perceived risk for your employer. Proposing a 3-month trial with defined success metrics lowers the barrier significantly. Most successful permanent arrangements started as trials.

Know your statutory rights before you ask

In the UK, employees with 26 weeks service have a statutory right to request flexible working and employers must consider it fairly. In Canada, most provinces do not have a statutory right but human rights grounds may apply. Knowing your legal position gives you confidence and shapes your tone appropriately.

Have the informal conversation first

A formal written request to a manager who has never heard your thinking is a harder sell than a request that follows a conversation. Raise it informally first: "I have been thinking about how I could structure my work differently - could we talk through it?" Then formalise if the conversation is positive.

Get the decision in writing

Whether approved or refused, a verbal decision is hard to enforce. Ask for written confirmation of the decision and the reasons. In the UK, employers who refuse must provide one of eight specified business reasons in writing. Documented decisions protect you and them.

Prepare your response to the likely objections

Before sending your request, write down the 3 most likely objections your manager will raise and your response to each. Coverage, client-facing presence, team collaboration and fairness to colleagues are the most common. Having considered answers ready for the discussion shows you have thought it through seriously.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no specific statutory right to flexible working in most Canadian provinces the way there is in the UK. However, employers may be required to accommodate certain flexible working arrangements under human rights legislation if you have a disability, religious requirement or family status obligation. Some collective agreements and progressive employers have their own flexible working policies. Even without a statutory right, a well-made business case is often effective.

In the UK, employees with 26 weeks continuous employment have a statutory right to make one flexible working request per year. Your employer must consider your request fairly and respond within two months. If they refuse, they must provide one of eight specified business reasons in writing. They cannot refuse simply because they prefer the current arrangement. As of 2024, employees can make flexible working requests from their first day of employment under updated legislation.

Yes - in most jurisdictions there is no obligation to grant a flexible working request. However, a refusal without genuine business justification leaves employers exposed to grievance procedures or, in some cases, discrimination claims. The strongest protection is in the UK where refusals must cite a statutory business reason. In all cases, a documented, thoughtful request puts you in a much stronger position than a verbal conversation.

In the UK, it is appropriate to reference the Employment Rights Act and note you are making a statutory request. In Canada and Australia, mentioning a specific statutory right when none exists can weaken your position. In those jurisdictions, frame your request as a professional proposal with a business case. The country selector in this tool adjusts the framing accordingly.

If your flexible working need relates to a disability or health condition, you may have stronger rights through human rights or disability discrimination legislation. In this case your request letter should reference this explicitly and you should consider seeking advice from an employment lawyer or your union before submitting, as the legal framework is different from a general flexible working request.

In the UK the employer must respond within 2 months. In most other jurisdictions there is no legal deadline, but reasonable expectation is 4-6 weeks. If you have not received a response after 6 weeks it is reasonable to follow up in writing. Keep records of when you sent the request and when you followed up.

Flexible Working Request