While the law says that you've a right to request flexible working, there is no obligation for your employer to grant that request; only for them to give it reasonable consideration and to give adequate reasons in the event of a refusal. Common reasons for refusal include: Where you've applied to reduce your hours, but the employer doesn't believe you could do your job adequately in the time allowed by a move to part-time work Where you've applied for flexitime but your role demands that you're at work during normal working hours, perhaps because of fixed shift patterns Where you've applied to work from home, but your employer believes you need to be able to interact with colleagues in order to fulfil your role effectively Where flexible working may affect the quality and performance of your role Where the business may not be able to meet customer demands Having said all of this, a refusal doesn't have to be the end of the matter. If you believe that your request for flexible working has been refused unfairly, your employer should, in the first instance, be prepared to sit down and discuss the situation with you and you've the right to appeal. It may even be the case that you've been working flexibly for some time and your employer wishes you to return to non-flexible working because they believe the arrangement is compromising your performance. Flexible working is therefore a very complex area of employment law, which raises a number of different legal issues, meaning that every request needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you and your employer can't agree over flexible working arrangements, it may be worth seeking the advice of an experienced employment law solicitor. You can call us on 0330 041 5869 or contact us and we'll call you.