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Kate DeardenLabour PartyTransport & economy

Rules for refusing flexible working from autumn 2027

“It is our intention that these changes will take effect in autumn 2027.”

PromisedWritten ministerial statement, 13 Oct 2026
  1. Promised

Where it stands

Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers may reject a flexible working request only where it is reasonable to do so. The government will introduce secondary legislation setting out a process employers must follow before rejecting a statutory request, and bring the Act's reasonableness test into force; its consultation response was published on 15 September. "Autumn 2027" is read as 30 November 2027. The card moves when the regulations are made.

What has happened

  1. Oct 2026The minister for the future of work says the process for rejecting flexible working requests and the reasonableness test are intended to take effect in autumn 2027, Promised
  2. Nov 2027Flexible working process and reasonableness test due to take effect in autumn 2027, Deadline

About the cost

No cost has been published.

More detail

Sources (1)
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