NHS Flexible Working Request Pack
Want to change your hours, days, pattern or place of work? Check how ready your request is for free, see the process and what to do at your stage, then unlock a request letter, a business case and a trial proposal.
New to this? Read our guide to your day-one right to request flexible working. Working fewer hours? See how part-time working affects your NHS pension. Last updated October 2026.
Short answer
Every employee can ask for flexible working from their first day in a job, and NHS staff covered by section 33 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook also have a contractual right to ask from day one, with no limit on the number of requests and for any reason (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). The statutory right allows 2 requests in any 12-month period. A statutory request is in writing and says it is a statutory request, gives the change and the start date, and says whether you have asked before. The employer must discuss it with you before refusing and decide within 2 months, or longer if you agree. Your trust's own policy sets the detail. The readiness check on this page is free. The documents are a one-off £7.99, with no subscription and 90 days of access.
⚠This is not legal advice
This tool and its documents are general guidance based on gov.uk, ACAS, the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook and our own guides. They are not legal, HR or employment advice and cannot take account of your trust's own flexible working policy or your circumstances. Speak to your trade union or staff-side representative before you send anything, and use the documents only as drafts. They never predict whether a request will be agreed. FrontlinePay is independent and is not affiliated with ACAS, any NHS trust or any trade union.
About you and where you are
Everything stays in your browser and is never sent to us. Your answers are saved in this browser so they are still here after checkout. Use "Clear my answers" to remove them, especially on a shared computer.
Only two answers are needed for the free check: where you are in the process and what you would like to change. The rest makes your documents more specific, and you can come back to it. See a worked example of the documents.
Your line manager or the person named in your trust's policy.
Used in the appeal documents.
Days, hours, start and finish times and where you work.
Be exact, for example 'Monday to Thursday, 07:30 to 15:30, 30 hours a week'.
Standard full time is 37.5 hours.
ACAS says an employer has a maximum of 2 months to decide, including any appeal, so leave at least that.
You do not have to give one. The Handbook says requests can be made regardless of the reason.
A statutory request uses the wording gov.uk describes and counts towards the limit of 2 in any 12 months. The Handbook's contractual right has no limit on the number of requests. If you are unsure, keep statutory and ask your rep.
Your business case
Optional, but it is what makes a request easy to say yes to. Be practical and honest about the impact.
Which tasks, shifts or sessions change, and how each could be covered, shared or moved.
Free worked example. Fictional person and trust
Example: request letter, business case and trial proposal
Jamie Okafor, a Band 5 occupational therapist at a made-up trust, wants to move from five days to four (37.5 to 30 hours) from January, offering a 12-week trial.
Everything below was produced by the pack itself from those made-up details. It is an example only: the names, trust and facts are invented, and your own documents are built from your own answers. Square brackets mark the places you fill in or check yourself.
Flexible working request letter or emailExample
A request with the wording gov.uk and ACAS describe: date, the change, start date, previous requests and an optional reason, plus your hours and the pay effect in your own numbers.
[Your address] [Your email address and phone number] 14 October 2026 Taylor Quinn Example NHS Foundation Trust Dear Taylor Quinn, Subject: Flexible working request - Jamie Okafor, Occupational Therapist This is a statutory request for flexible working. I am also making it under section 33 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook and the trust's flexible working policy. Date of this request: 14 October 2026 I have not made a statutory flexible working request in the last 12 months. My current working arrangement: Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 16:30 (37.5 hours a week), based on the community team site. The change I am requesting: Monday to Thursday, 08:30 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break, 30 hours a week, based on the community team site. This is a change to the number of hours I work and the days I work. In weekly hours, I am asking to move from 37.5 to 30. Date I would like the change to start: 18 January 2027 I am asking for this to be a permanent change, starting with a 12-week trial followed by a review, as set out in the attached proposal. Reason (optional): the change would help me manage my childcare responsibilities. My child starts school in January and I need to be able to do the Friday school run. I understand that a reduction in my hours means my pay and other entitlements will be reduced in proportion, and I have considered how it affects my pension. I have attached a short business case setting out how I think the work can be covered and how any impact can be kept small. I would also be happy to start with a 12-week trial and a review, as set out in the attached proposal. I would welcome a meeting to discuss it, and I am open to exploring alternatives if the request cannot be agreed exactly as set out. I understand that a decision, including any appeal, is expected within two months of the date you receive this request unless we agree a longer period. Please acknowledge receipt, confirm the date you received it and let me know who will be dealing with it and how the trust's process will work. Thank you for considering my request. Yours sincerely, Jamie Okafor Occupational Therapist, Band 5 [cc: my trade union representative - delete if not needed] [Delete this line before sending: check every bracketed item, check your trust's own flexible working policy and have your union or staff-side rep read it first.]
Supporting business caseExample
How the work is covered, the impact and how you would keep it small, and a prepared answer to each concern you expect, drawn from the eight business reasons an employer can use.
SUPPORTING BUSINESS CASE FOR A FLEXIBLE WORKING REQUEST Jamie Okafor, Occupational Therapist, Band 5, Example NHS Foundation Trust - 14 October 2026 [Delete before sending: this is meant to be short, practical and balanced. Keep it to what you can stand behind, avoid naming colleagues unless they have agreed, and do not overstate the benefits.] 1. What I am asking for Monday to Thursday, 08:30 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break, 30 hours a week, based on the community team site. This is a change to the number of hours I work and the days I work, starting on 18 January 2027. I am asking for this to be a permanent change, starting with a 12-week trial followed by a review, as set out in the attached proposal. 2. How my work would be covered My Friday caseload is mainly review visits and the weekly referral meeting. I can move my review visits to Monday to Thursday, and send my notes to the team before the Friday referral meeting so a colleague can present them. 3. The effect on the team and the service, and how I would keep it small Friday would be the only day I am not in. I would hand over urgent matters on Thursday afternoon and my team would know I am contactable by phone on Friday mornings for urgent queries. [add anything specific to your team] 4. Hours and pay 30 hours a week, compared with 37.5 now. That is 20% fewer hours. I understand my pay and other entitlements would be reduced in proportion (the Handbook says part-time employees receive the same entitlements pro rata), and that my pension would be affected. I have considered this. 5. Concerns I can see, and my response Concern 1: Extra costs that would damage the business State whether your request has any extra cost. If it has none, say so. If it has some, say how it could be reduced or offset. My response: [your answer, in one or two sentences] Concern 2: The work cannot be reorganised among existing staff Set out how your hours or tasks could be shared or redistributed, using the roles you have thought about. Do not name colleagues unless they have agreed. My response: [your answer, in one or two sentences] Concern 3: The change would affect quality Explain how patient care, service quality or team standards would be maintained, for example through handover, overlap hours or a fixed pattern. My response: [your answer, in one or two sentences] 6. Options I would also be willing to consider If the request cannot be agreed exactly as set out, I would be willing to discuss: - [an alternative pattern, for example different days or times] - [a trial period and review date] - [a temporary arrangement, reviewed after a set period] 7. Review I suggest a review after 12 weeks, so that we can agree whether to make the arrangement permanent, adjust it or revert. [Delete this line before sending: check every bracketed item, check your trust's own flexible working policy and have your union or staff-side rep read it first.]
Trial-period proposalExample
A short proposal for a trial and review: dates, what would be looked at, check-ins and what happens at the end, in the terms the Handbook uses for agreed requests.
TRIAL-PERIOD PROPOSAL Jamie Okafor, Occupational Therapist, Band 5, Example NHS Foundation Trust - 14 October 2026 [Delete before sending: a trial is something you offer, not something the law requires. It is optional. Keep it short and agree dates in writing.] 1. What I propose A trial of Monday to Thursday, 08:30 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break, 30 hours a week, based on the community team site, starting on 18 January 2027 and running for 12 weeks, to 12 April 2027. 2. Why a trial A trial lets us find out in practice whether the arrangement works for the service, the team and me, with a defined point to decide what happens next. 3. What we would look at during the trial - Whether the work I no longer do on the affected days or times is being covered without difficulty. - Whether clinics, sessions, lists or caseload are being met at the times that matter. - Any effect on colleagues, and what has helped or not helped. - Handover, communication and my availability. - [Any measures that matter in your service: add them] 4. Check-ins and review - A short check-in around 1 March 2027. - A review meeting around 12 April 2027, before the trial ends. - Either of us can ask for an earlier conversation if something is not working. 5. What could happen at the end At the review we agree one of the following, in writing: - the arrangement becomes permanent; - the arrangement is adjusted, with any change agreed; - the trial is extended for a set period; or - I return to my previous arrangement. The Handbook says the final stage of an agreed request should confirm the timeframe, whether the change is for a duration or permanent, and any review dates (33.16), so I would like the outcome of the review recorded in writing. 6. Pay and pension during the trial My hours would be 30 a week during the trial, instead of 37.5. I understand my pay and other entitlements would be reduced in proportion for that period. 7. Practicalities - Rota or diary changes needed: [add] - Handover and who covers what: [add] - Equipment or access needed: [add] Signed: ______________________ Date: ______________________ [Delete this line before sending: check every bracketed item, check your trust's own flexible working policy and have your union or staff-side rep read it first.]
Meeting preparation: statement and questionsExample
An opening statement, your options in order of preference, questions to ask and what to confirm before you leave, so you are not working from memory.
MEETING PREPARATION: STATEMENT AND QUESTIONS Jamie Okafor, Example NHS Foundation Trust - prepared 14 October 2026 Stage: I am ready to put in a request [Delete before use: this is for you to read and rehearse, not to hand over. Aim to leave the meeting with a decision date, an alternative to consider or a trial, not an argument.] A. My opening (about one minute) "Thank you for meeting me. I would like to change the number of hours I work and the days I work. The arrangement I am asking for is Monday to Thursday, 08:30 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break, 30 hours a week, based on the community team site, starting 18 January 2027. I have thought about how the work could be covered and I would like to explore it with you, including alternatives if this exact arrangement is difficult." B. How the work is covered (my notes) My Friday caseload is mainly review visits and the weekly referral meeting. I can move my review visits to Monday to Thursday, and send my notes to the team before the Friday referral meeting so a colleague can present them. C. Concerns I may hear, and my answers Concern 1: Extra costs that would damage the business What they may mean: The employer says your change would cost more, for example through overtime, bank or agency cover. My answer: [add] Concern 2: The work cannot be reorganised among existing staff What they may mean: The employer says the tasks or shifts you would no longer do cannot be shared out among the team. My answer: [add] Concern 3: The change would affect quality What they may mean: The employer says the quality of the service or the team's work would suffer. My answer: [add] D. Options in order of preference 1. Monday to Thursday, 08:30 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break, 30 hours a week, based on the community team site. 2. [a fallback: different days, times or hours] 3. [a trial period with a review date] 4. [a temporary arrangement, reviewed after a set period] E. Questions to ask [ ] What would make this workable for the service? [ ] Is there a part of the request that causes the difficulty, and could that part be changed? [ ] Which alternatives have you thought about, and could we try one as a trial? [ ] Who else needs to be consulted, and when will I hear? [ ] When will I receive the decision in writing? (The employer should decide within 2 months of the request, including any appeal, unless we agree longer.) [ ] If it is not agreed, will I receive specific written reasons, including the alternatives considered, and details of the appeals process? (Handbook 33.16.) [ ] Can I bring a colleague or my union rep to this meeting, or to the next one? F. Before I leave [ ] Confirm the date by which I will have a decision, in writing. [ ] Confirm anything I have been asked to provide, and by when. [ ] Confirm any alternative or trial that was discussed. [ ] Within a day, send a short summary email of what was said (the follow-up letters include one). [Space for your own notes] [Delete this line before sending: check every bracketed item, check your trust's own flexible working policy and have your union or staff-side rep read it first.]
Appeal outline (for later, if needed)Example
A skeleton only, clearly labelled, for if a request is refused. Do not send it now.
APPEAL OUTLINE - FOR LATER, IF YOU NEED IT This is a skeleton only. Do not send it now. You can only appeal once a request has been refused. Gov.uk says employees no longer have a statutory right to an appeal but may still be able to appeal, and the NHS Handbook gives staff a standard appeal process with a right to be represented by a trade union representative in the appeal meeting (33.17). IMPORTANT: Confirm your trust's appeal deadline and how to submit an appeal before you do anything else. The policy or the decision letter sets the number of days. The Handbook says you have the right to be represented by a trade union representative in the appeal meeting (33.17), so contact your rep before you send this. [Your address] 14 October 2026 [Name and job title of the person to send the appeal to - check the decision letter and the policy] Example NHS Foundation Trust Subject: Appeal against the decision on my flexible working request - Jamie Okafor, Occupational Therapist Dear [name], I am writing to appeal against the decision on my flexible working request of [date], confirmed in your letter of [date]. The decision was [summarise: refused / agreed in part]. My grounds are as follows. Ground 1: Consultation and process [Say whether you were offered a meeting before the decision and whether the trust's own process was followed: for example the exploratory meeting and consultation meeting the Handbook describes (33.16). Include only what is true, and delete this ground if the process was followed.] Ground 2: The reasons given [Say whether the reasons given were specific and objectively justified, and whether the alternatives considered were set out.] [List each reason the trust gave, quoting its words, and say how your proposal addresses it. If no business reason was given, say so.] Ground 3: Whether all appropriate options were considered [Say which options you proposed or discussed and whether others, such as a different pattern, a trial or a review date, were considered. Include only what is true.] Ground 4: The facts relied on [If the decision relies on facts that are not correct, say which, and give the correct information with any evidence. Delete this ground if it does not apply.] What I am asking for: [for example that the request is agreed, agreed on a trial basis, or that an alternative is agreed]. I would like to be represented by [name of your union representative] at the appeal meeting. Yours sincerely, Jamie Okafor [Delete this line before sending: check every bracketed item, check your trust's own flexible working policy and have your union or staff-side rep read it first.]
Follow-up letters: chaser, after the meeting and confirming an agreementExample
Three short letters for the three moments that usually need one: no reply yet, a summary after the meeting, and confirming an agreed arrangement in writing.
FOLLOW-UP LETTERS Jamie Okafor, Example NHS Foundation Trust - prepared 14 October 2026 [Delete before use: You are not at the point of needing these yet. Keep them for when you do. Use only the letter that fits, and delete the rest. Each can be sent as an email.] LETTER A: NO REPLY YET [Your address] 14 October 2026 Taylor Quinn Example NHS Foundation Trust Dear Taylor Quinn, Subject: My flexible working request - Jamie Okafor, Occupational Therapist I made a flexible working request on 14 October 2026 for Monday to Thursday, 08:30 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break, 30 hours a week, based on the community team site. I have not yet received a response or been invited to discuss it. I understand that a decision, including any appeal, is expected within two months of the request, which would be 14 December 2026, unless we have agreed a longer period, and I do not believe we have. I would be grateful if you could let me know where the request has got to, who is dealing with it and when I can expect a meeting or a decision. I am happy to discuss alternatives if that would help. Yours sincerely, Jamie Okafor LETTER B: AFTER THE MEETING [Your address] 14 October 2026 Taylor Quinn Example NHS Foundation Trust Dear Taylor Quinn, Subject: My flexible working request - summary of our meeting Thank you for meeting me on [date] to discuss my request. My understanding of what we discussed: - [what you asked for] - [the concerns raised] - [the options or alternatives discussed, including any trial] My understanding of next steps and dates: - [who will do what, and by when] - [when I can expect the decision in writing] Please let me know if your understanding is different. Yours sincerely, Jamie Okafor LETTER C: CONFIRMING AN AGREEMENT [Your address] 14 October 2026 Taylor Quinn Example NHS Foundation Trust Dear Taylor Quinn, Subject: Confirming my agreed flexible working arrangement Thank you for agreeing my flexible working request. So that we both have it in writing, I understand the agreed arrangement is: - Arrangement: Monday to Thursday, 08:30 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break, 30 hours a week, based on the community team site. - Start date: 18 January 2027 - Duration: a 12-week trial, then a review on [date], after which it may become permanent - Review date, if any: [date] - Effect on my hours and pay: [state, or write 'no change'] Please could you confirm this in writing, and let me know when my contract will be updated. Gov.uk says an employer should change the contract within 28 days of agreeing a request, and the ACAS outcome letter template mentions confirming contract changes within one month. Yours sincerely, Jamie Okafor [Delete this line before sending: check every bracketed item, check your trust's own flexible working policy and have your union or staff-side rep read it first.]
What you get
The free part scores how ready your request is on eight signals, such as whether you have said exactly what changes, left enough time before the start date, thought about cover and the likely concerns, and checked the effect on pay and pension. It turns your hours into a proportion of the standard 37.5-hour week, works out the two-month point from the date of your request, shows what to do at your stage with sources, and explains the eight business reasons an employer can rely on. It never predicts the outcome. The paid pack turns your own answers into six documents you can edit, copy or print:
| Document | What it does |
|---|---|
| Request letter or email | The wording gov.uk and ACAS describe: date, a statement that it is a statutory request (or contractual wording if you choose), previous requests, the change, the start date and an optional reason, plus your hours and the effect on them. |
| Supporting business case | How your work is covered, the effect on the team and how you would keep it small, and a prepared answer for each of the concerns you expect from the eight business reasons. |
| Trial-period proposal | Dates, what would be looked at, check-ins and the options at the end, in the terms the Handbook uses for agreed requests. |
| Meeting preparation | An opening statement, your options in order of preference, questions to ask and what to confirm before you leave. |
| Appeal letter draft or outline | If a request has been refused, grounds built on the Handbook and gov.uk: consultation, specific reasons, whether all options were considered and the facts relied on. Otherwise a labelled outline for later. |
| Follow-up letters | A chaser if you have not heard, a summary after the meeting, and a letter confirming an agreed arrangement in writing. |
Every document is polite and practical, uses today's date and leaves bracketed placeholders for anything we do not know. Your answers stay in your browser and are not sent to us. The pack costs £7.99 once, gives 90 days of access and does not renew.
Your right to request flexible working in the NHS
There are two overlapping rights, and it helps to know which you are using:
| Statutory right | NHS Handbook (section 33) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | All employees (gov.uk) | NHS employees covered by the section and employed by an Annex 1 organisation |
| From when | Day one (gov.uk) | Day one (33.5) |
| How many requests | 2 in any 12-month period, one live at a time (ACAS) | No limit on the number in any 12-month period (33.6) |
| Reason needed | No reason required for a request (ACAS template treats it as optional) | Regardless of the reasons (33.6) |
| Decision time | Within 2 months, or longer if agreed (gov.uk); ACAS says including any appeal | The standard process should incorporate the statutory timescales (33.13) |
| Before refusing | The employer must discuss the request with you (gov.uk) | An exploratory meeting, then an escalation stage with a consultation meeting (33.16) |
| Appeal | No statutory right to an appeal, but you may still be able to appeal (gov.uk) | A standard appeal process, with the right to a trade union representative at the appeal meeting (33.17) |
The version above is the England, Wales and Northern Ireland section 33. NHS Scotland has its own section 33 with different wording, which says all NHS employees have the right to request flexible working and that employers should consider flexible working options for all staff. If you have already made two statutory requests in the last 12 months, the Handbook's contractual route is still open to you, and the pack lets you choose how the letter describes your request. Our guide to flexible working and childcare and our guide for staff with caring responsibilities cover the day-one right in more depth.
What a flexible working request must include
Gov.uk says a statutory request is made in writing and includes:
- the date of the request;
- a statement that this is a statutory request for flexible working;
- the change you want and the date you would like it to start; and
- whether you have made previous applications and, if so, when.
ACAS says it can be a letter or an email, and its template adds your current arrangement and an optional reason. You can ask to change the number of hours you work, when you start or finish, the days you work or where you work (gov.uk). Be exact: "Monday to Thursday, 07:30 to 15:30, 30 hours a week" is far easier to consider than "fewer hours". Ask for a start date at least two months away, because ACAS says the employer has up to two months to decide, including any appeal.
What you can ask for: the options the Handbook lists
Section 33.10 of the Handbook says employers and trade unions should work through local partnerships to develop options that include, but are not limited to:
- fixed working patterns to give certainty over hours worked and location;
- part-time working (any number of hours under 37.5);
- flexi-time around core hours, including staggered start and finish times;
- compressed or elongated hours;
- average hours patterns, such as annualised hours;
- term-time working;
- job-share;
- flexible retirement;
- team self-rostering; and
- homeworking for some or all of the working pattern.
Our guides cover job shares, term-time-only contracts and annualised hours.
How long will the trust take to decide?
Gov.uk says the employer must decide within 2 months of the request, or longer if agreed with the employee. ACAS says the employer must make a decision, including any appeal, within a maximum of 2 months, and that the request stays active during any appeal. The Handbook (33.13) says each trust's standard process should incorporate the statutory timescales and extension by mutual agreement. The free check above works out the two-month point from your request date and tells you if it has passed. If you have not heard and have not agreed a longer period, write and ask where the request has got to, which is what the pack's chaser does.
The eight business reasons, and how to prepare for each
Gov.uk says an employer can refuse an application if it has a good business reason, and lists eight. Knowing them in advance lets your request answer them before they are raised:
| Business reason | How to prepare |
|---|---|
| Extra costs that would damage the business | State whether your request has any extra cost. If it has none, say so. If it has some, say how it could be reduced or offset. |
| The work cannot be reorganised among existing staff | Set out how your hours or tasks could be shared or redistributed, using the roles you have thought about. Do not name colleagues unless they have agreed. |
| People cannot be recruited to do the work | If your request leaves hours uncovered, say whether they could be covered by recruitment, bank staff or a job share, and propose a start date that leaves time to do it. |
| The change would affect quality | Explain how patient care, service quality or team standards would be maintained, for example through handover, overlap hours or a fixed pattern. |
| The change would affect performance | Show how targets, caseload or activity would still be met, for example by working the busiest periods or agreeing priorities. |
| The employer cannot meet demand | Show how the service would still meet demand when it needs staff, for example by working peak times or agreeing which sessions you would cover. |
| There is not enough work in the periods you propose to work | Give examples of the work available at your proposed times, such as clinics, lists or caseload. |
| Planned structural changes | Ask whether any planned reorganisation affects your role, and whether your request could be agreed for now and reviewed after the changes. |
The Handbook (33.16) says that where a request is not agreed, the trust should check that the statutory consultation requirement has been met and give objectively justified, specific written reasons, including alternatives considered, together with details of the appeals process.
Trial periods and review dates
We found no right to a trial period in gov.uk, ACAS or the Handbook, but you can propose one, and it often makes it easier to say yes: the employer can see the arrangement work in practice with a defined point to decide what happens next. The Handbook says the final stage for an agreed request confirms and documents the implementation arrangements, including the timeframe, whether the change is for a duration or permanent, and any review dates (33.16). A short trial proposal with a mid-point check-in and a review meeting fits that language. The pack's trial document works out the dates from your start date and the length you choose.
If your request is refused
First, check the decision letter for the specific written reasons the Handbook expects, the alternatives considered and the appeal route and deadline. Gov.uk says employees no longer have a statutory right to appeal but may still be able to, and the Handbook gives NHS staff a standard appeal process with the right to a trade union representative at the appeal meeting (33.17). Appeals consider whether the local process was followed and whether all appropriate options were fully considered (33.18). You can also make a fresh, amended request, for example for different days or a trial, because the Handbook sets no limit on the number of contractual requests. Gov.uk says you can complain to an employment tribunal only if the request was not handled in a reasonable manner, was wrongly treated as withdrawn, you were dismissed or penalised because of it, or it was refused on incorrect facts, and not simply because it was refused. The time limit is strict, and an internal appeal does not change it, so ask ACAS (free) or your union early.
Working fewer hours: what it does to pay and pension
The Handbook sets standard full-time hours at 37.5 a week (section 10.1) and says part-time employees receive the same entitlements pro rata (11.1). Moving from 37.5 to 30 hours is 20% fewer hours, and 80% of the standard week, so expect basic pay, annual leave and similar entitlements to fall by about that share, before tax. Allowances that depend on when you work, such as unsocial hours payments, depend on the hours you actually work. Your NHS pension builds on actual pensionable pay, so a lower income can mean a lower pension. Check your take-home pay in the NHS Pay Calculator, the effect on your pension in the NHS Pension Calculator, your leave in the NHS Annual Leave Calculator, and read how part-time working affects your pension. If your request changes your shifts, the Rota & Take-Home Calculator shows the effect on net income.
Sources
- NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, section 33 (balancing work and personal life), sections 10 and 11, from NHS Employers
- Gov.uk: flexible working, including the sections on applying, after the application and appeals
- ACAS: statutory flexible working requests, its request letter template and outcome letter template
- ACAS Code of Practice on flexible working requests (ACAS says it will be updated to reflect law changes expected in 2027)
- ACAS: employment tribunal time limits
- How we write and check our guidance
Why trust this tool
- ✓ Built on section 33 of the NHS Handbook, gov.uk and ACAS, checked against each source in October 2026
- ✓ Uses the statutory request wording gov.uk and ACAS describe, and lets you use the Handbook's contractual wording if you have reached the statutory limit
- ✓ States the 2-month decision period as ACAS and gov.uk do, and the Handbook's own limit of no cap on contractual requests
- ✓ Says clearly that the Scotland version of section 33 differs, and that a trial period is something you offer, not a right we found
- ✓ Shows hours as a proportion only, and sends you to the pay and pension calculators for figures
- ✓ Never predicts whether a request will be agreed and never says an employer acted unlawfully
- ✓ Runs in your browser. Your details and document text are not sent to us
- ✓ Guidance last updated October 2026
Related guides & tools
Flexible Working for Childcare: Your Day-One Right
The request process, refusal reasons and the NHS contractual right.
Caring Responsibilities and Flexible Working
Carer's leave, the day-one right and your trust's carer's policy.
How Part-Time Working Affects Your NHS Pension
Pensionable pay, accrual and changing your hours.
NHS Pension Calculator
See what a change in hours does to your pension.
NHS Pay Calculator
Your take-home pay at your new hours.
NHS Job Share Arrangements Explained
How job shares are set up and what they mean for pay and pension.
Term-Time-Only Contracts Explained
How term-time contracts work, including pay and leave.
Disability and Reasonable Adjustments at Work
If the change is a reasonable adjustment, a separate route may fit better.
NHS Grievance Letter Pack
If a request has been handled badly and an informal route has not worked.
NHS Adjustments Request: Free Check and Pack
Free readiness check and Equality Act guide, then request letter, evidence list, occupational health questions, meeting prep, review letters and a one-page summary.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask for flexible working from my first day in an NHS job? +
How many flexible working requests can I make? +
Do I have to give a reason for my request? +
What must a flexible working request include? +
How long does the trust have to decide? +
On what grounds can the trust refuse? +
Can I appeal if my request is refused? +
Can I take a refused request to an employment tribunal? +
Can I ask for a trial period? +
Will working fewer hours affect my NHS pension? +
Does this apply in Scotland, and to staff on other contracts? +
What do I get for £7.99, and for how long? +
Flexible working policies and timescales are set by individual NHS trusts, so detail varies. This page is general information, not legal, HR or employment advice. FrontlinePay is an independent site and is not affiliated with ACAS, NHS England, any NHS trust or any trade union.