Day-one flexible-working requests changed the recruitment handover

The revised request process

The April changes included a day-one right to request flexible working, two statutory requests in a 12-month period and a two-month decision period unless an extension was agreed. Employers also had to consult before rejecting a request. The revised Acas code set out the framework for handling requests.

These changes did not create an automatic right to whichever working pattern an employee preferred. A recruiter therefore needed to be careful with language in an advert or offer discussion. A specific arrangement already approved for a role could be described accurately; a future statutory request needed the employer’s proper process.

Carry the conversation into employment

A candidate might discuss part-time hours with a consultant, accept an offer and then discover the hiring manager has only seen a generic full-time brief. That illustrative mismatch is avoidable when notes distinguish a question, a provisional discussion and an authorised term. The labels should be visible to everyone preparing the offer.

Once employment begins, a statutory request needs to reach the designated employer contact promptly. Recruiters should avoid leaving a request in a routine candidate follow-up queue. The process should also make clear that separate issues, such as disability-related adjustments, may require their own specialist review rather than being casually filed as general flexibility.

Offer notes should identify the actual approving manager.

Make the handover useful to the decision owner

Key Med Solutions can assist with collecting approved working-pattern information, updating vacancy templates and maintaining an accurate offer handover. Candidate-engagement support can record the individual’s practical questions and route them to an authorised decision-maker. It should not promise acceptance of a request or make employment-law judgements.

For the client’s internal administration, an agreed tracker can record the date a request was received, the responsible manager and the next action. Any workflow must reflect the employer’s approved policy and distinguish an agreed extension from an overdue response. Sensitive personal explanations should be accessible only to those who need them.

The 2024 lesson is that better rights need usable processes. Clear vacancy language and timely handovers can prevent uncertainty becoming a poor candidate experience. Key Med can provide coordination and recordkeeping, while the employer decides requests and takes advice on the legal requirements applicable to the case.