Flexible working decision letter template
A flexible working decision letter tells an employee the outcome of their statutory flexible working request. It says whether the request is accepted in full, accepted in a different form, or refused, and for a refusal it gives the business reason. It is sent after the consultation meeting, within the time limit the law sets for deciding the request.
Adapted from Acas (4 April 2024). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What changes each time
11 values. Everything else is your wording, kept exactly.
The request
- Employee name
- Date of the request
- Decision
- Date of the consultation meeting
The arrangement agreed
- Agreed working arrangement
- Contact details for next steps
Reasons and appeal
- Business reason for not accepting the original request
- How to appeal
The sender
- Signatory name
- Signatory job title
- Organisation name
The rules it usually needs
Written in plain English when the template is set up.
- One of several wordings
“Decision: accept the request in full, accept an alternative arrangement, or refuse the request.”
The manager's email agreed an alternative arrangement, so that wording was used, with the original request refused for a stated business reason; the other two wordings were left out.
- One of several wordings
“Business reason or reasons: one of the eight statutory business reasons for refusing a request.”
The refusal was for the effect on meeting customer demand, one of the eight, and the wording said 'reason' in the singular.
One worked example, start to finish
The flexible working decision letter in DocuWeave, from upload to approval.
1The document uploaded
The Acas flexible working request outcome letter of April 2024, a Word file, uploaded as it is.
- 2
The template it became
It found 4 sections and 19 values, and asked 3 questions before publishing. The decision is a choice of accept in full, accept an alternative, or refuse.
3The paperwork dropped in
The employee's request, the consultation meeting notes, the manager's decision email and a typed note.
4What was found, with sources
13 of 19 values filled from the paperwork, each with the passage it came from.
5What it asked
4 things for a person: the request date and the working arrangement, where the files disagreed, and two wordings to choose.
6The approved output
Approved, with Word and PDF downloads of exactly what was approved.
A free flexible working decision letter to download
- Flexible working decision letter, filled with fictional details (Word)
- Flexible working decision letter, filled with fictional details (PDF)
Use it as it is, or upload it to DocuWeave and make it a template.
DocuWeave is not a law firm. A general template for common situations in England and Wales. It is not tailored to you and we do not update it when the law changes, so check it suits your situation before you use it. Terms.
Adapted from Acas (4 April 2024). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Questions people ask
What is a statutory flexible working request?
A written request from an employee to change when, where or how they work, such as compressed hours or a different pattern. Employees can make two requests in any 12 months from their first day of employment.
How long does an employer have to decide?
Within 2 months of receiving the request, including any appeal, unless the employee agrees to extend it. The employer must also consult the employee before refusing.
What reasons can an employer give for refusing?
One or more of eight business reasons set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996, such as the burden of additional costs, a detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand or planned structural changes.
Does the employee have a right to appeal?
The Acas Code of Practice on requests for flexible working says the employer should offer an appeal if the request is refused, and the letter says how to make it.
Can I use my own flexible working decision letter instead of this one?
Yes. Upload your own Word or PDF version and DocuWeave turns it into a template in your wording, with the same kind of rules and the same filling from paperwork.
Use this template
It opens in DocuWeave as a template you can check, change and publish. Nothing is used until you do.