According to a recent article in The Telegraph, workers in the UK might soon be given new rights to request a four-day working week, with the same amount of hours spread over four longer days. At the same time, it has been reported that the Department for Business and Trade has confirmed that it has ‘no plans’ to bring the legislation — the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023 — into force in the autumn as expected. A spokesperson for the Department said it will instead introduce ‘a new right to a contract that reflects the number of hours regularly worked, as part of our significant and ambitious agenda to ensure workplace rights are fit for a modern economy’.

What could this mean for employers? Employees have had the right to request flexible working arrangements, including compressed hours, for over a decade. Therefore, the idea of compressed hours might not be as groundbreaking as it sounds. 

What could be changing? What remains to be seen is how the Government might change the process for employers to deal with these requests. Currently, it's relatively easy for employers to say ‘no’, with minimal repercussions—potential liability for up to eight weeks’ pay at most.

What might be coming? We could possibly see stricter rules on rejecting flexible working requests, and employers having to provide more substantive reasons for refusal. 

Currently, all remains unknown until we see the draft Employment Bill expected in October. As always, watch this space! 

We are holding our 2024 Employment Law Update Webinar on 15 October, where amongst other topics we will discuss the much-anticipated Employment Rights Bill and other legislative proposals that could reshape the way businesses and employees operate – invites going out soon, but in the meantime, you may wish to save the date in your diary. 

For more information

For more information on flexible working requests or the anticipated Employment Rights Bill, please contact me.