Flexible working appeal - invitation to appeal meeting

If you reject an employee’s request for a flexible working arrangement, it is good practice to allow them to appeal the decision and, if they do appeal, to arrange a meeting with them to discuss it.

A reasonable procedure

Where you take the decision to reject an employee’s request for flexible working, the Acas Code of Practice on requests for flexible working says that it’s good practice to allow the employee to appeal the decision and, if you do receive an appeal, you should arrange an appeal meeting without unreasonable delay. It also says it’s good practice to permit the employee to be accompanied by a work colleague, a trade union representative or a trade union official at the appeal meeting. Our Flexible Working Appeal - Invitation to Appeal Meeting will help you set up an appeal meeting with the employee. The appeal itself should be dealt with impartially and the person chairing the appeal meeting should have sufficient authority to make a decision. Wherever possible, the appeal should be handled by a manager who has not previously been involved in considering the employee’s request.