If you reject an employee’s request for a flexible working arrangement, the Acas Code of Practice on requests for flexible working says that you should give them the option to appeal the decision. Whilst there are no set time periods for dealing with an appeal, all flexible working requests, which includes any appeals, must be considered and decided on within a period of two months from first receipt, unless you agree with the employee to extend this period.
Appeal meeting
If you refuse an employee’s flexible working request, they should be permitted to lodge a written appeal against your decision. If this happens, you should arrange to hold an appeal meeting with them. The person holding the appeal meeting should have sufficient authority to make a decision and, wherever possible, it should be handled by a manager who has not previously been involved in considering the employee’s request. They should then carefully consider the employee’s appeal and notify their decision to them in writing. Our Outcome of Flexible Working Appeal Meeting Letter will help you deal with notifying the decision on the employee’s appeal.
Possible outcomes
There are two possible outcomes to the appeal:
Our letter covers both these outcomes as optional paragraphs. Note. Your decision on any appeal should be the final stage of a reasonable procedure.