Your manager will acknowledge receipt within seven days. They will consider your request, including factors such as the impact on the service and on other staff and the benefits to be gained. They will include this information on the form and will then pass it to your HoD for a decision.
Your HoD will respond to you within 28 days of receiving your form unless absence delays this (see 2.7 of the procedure). Your HoD may write to let you know that your request has been approved or may want to arrange a meeting within that same timescale to discuss it further. If a meeting is held you can choose to be accompanied by a work colleague or a trade union representative. Your HoD may request a member of Human Resources to attend to provide advice.
Your HoD may want to introduce the arrangements on a temporary basis for a trial period only to identify any problems or issues that arise. This would give you the opportunity to demonstrate that the arrangements can work well, but it is possible that issues will arise that cannot be overcome and agreement to an long-term or indefinite change to your working pattern would not be given. In the event that a trial period is carried out, a flexible working review form will be used to record the outcome of any discussions that take place during the trial of the flexible working arrangement.
If it is not possible to agree to your request as it stands, your HoD may suggest an alternative arrangement for you to consider. It is sensible to be prepared to discuss a compromise, but in the event that an agreement cannot be reached your current working arrangements will remain unchanged.
You can change your mind about your application at any time up to the point that it is approved in writing by your HoD. If you do change your mind you should let your manager or HoD know either verbally, by letter or by email and they will then confirm in writing that the request has been withdrawn.
Your HoD will write to you within 14 days of the date of the meeting to approve or reject your proposal. If your request is rejected the letter must give the reasons (see 2.1 of the procedure).
If your request is refused you have the right to appeal against that decision on certain grounds (see 3.1 of the Procedure) and the refusal letter should give you details about how to do so. An appeal hearing will then be arranged and your appeal will be heard by a different manager. You will again have the right to be accompanied by a colleague or by a trade union representative.
The manager hearing the appeal will give you a decision within 14 days of the date of the meeting. That decision is final and you may not normally submit another request for flexible working within 12 months.
If your request is approved it is likely that, after an agreed period, your manager will want to review how the new arrangements are working. If difficulties arise before the review date do not wait, talk to your manager about them straight away.
