Flexible Working Discuss Meeting

Meeting with an employee to discuss and consider the employee’s flexible working application

The employee has been formally invited to attend the meeting in respect of their application to work flexibly. This note assumes that the Company/employer does not have an internal process/policy on flexible working.

The flexible working process should be completed within three months of the original request.

Introduce the meeting

Thank the employee for attending and introduce those present and their role in the meeting:

• Chair/manager: present to chair the meeting, to listen to what is said and to make the decision in respect of the employee’s application.

• Employee: present to make and explain their application.

• Note taker: present to take notes to ensure a record is taken of the meeting, not part of the decision-making process.

• Employee’s companion (a work colleague or a suitably qualified union representative) present at the request of the employee to help the employee communicate their application.

Explain the purpose of the meeting

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and consider the employee’s application to work flexibly.

Advise the employee that it is unlikely that the business will be able to make a decision today (decision making should be reserved until after the meeting to allow the application to be fully considered).

Discuss the particulars of the employee’s application

Discuss what working pattern the employee is looking for. An eligible employee may apply for:

• a change to the hours they work

• a change to the times when they are required to work

• to work from a different location (for example, from home)

• Discuss when the employee would like the proposed new working pattern to come into effect.

• Discuss what effect, if any, the employee thinks that the proposed change would have on the employer and how they feel any such change might be dealt with.

• Discuss whether or not any other working patterns or alternatives would be considered.

• Check if the employee has made any previous applications and, if so, when.

Summarise and explain the next steps

• Summarise what has been discussed in the meeting.

• The employee should be asked if they have anything else that they wish to say or to be considered.

• Explain the next steps, i.e. that the meeting will end, the employer will go away to consider the request and the decision will be communicated in writing.