31.1 The Company will try, subject to the needs of the business, to accommodate requests from employees who wish to make changes to their working hours or place of work.
31.2 Requests for a change in working arrangements can be made by any employee. Two requests per employee may be made in any 12 month period (which includes requests that have been withdrawn). However, an employee may have only one live request for flexible working with the Company at any one time.
31.3 The request must: be made in writing and state this is a flexible working request (a form is provided); be dated; set out the change requested, including when you would like the change to come into effect; and set out if and when you have made a previous request for flexible working to the Company.
31.4 When a request is received, you will be invited to a meeting to discuss the potential change. The meeting will normally be conducted by senior management. You are entitled to be accompanied by a fellow employee to assist in making any representations that may be appropriate.
31.5 The application may be refused on one or more of several grounds, these being that the proposed changes will result in: a burden of additional cost; a detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand; an inability to re-organise work among existing staff; an inability to recruit additional staff; a detrimental effect on quality; a detrimental effect on performance; an insufficiency of work during the periods you propose to work; a planned structural change and any other ground allowed by regulations.
31.6 Before refusing a request, the Company will consult with you to discuss the application further, which may include exploring any alternatives that may be available. If no agreement is reached and the request is rejected, this will be confirmed in writing and your terms and conditions will remain unchanged, subject to your right to appeal the decision. The process (including any appeal) will be concluded within 2 months of the request being made, unless a longer period is agreed.
31.7 Any meetings should take place in a spirit of co-operation with both sides seeking to reach agreement on an appropriate way forward.
31.8 Any change in working arrangements which results from this process will be confirmed to you in writing.
31.9 This policy will not prevent managers agreeing to ad hoc arrangements from time to time. However, any such arrangement will not amount to a variation in your terms and conditions of employment unless specifically agreed to the contrary and confirmed in writing. The Company may terminate any such ad hoc agreement at any time and require you to revert to your agreed working arrangements.
31.10 As there will inevitably be a limit to the amount of flexibility the Company can tolerate without detriment to its interests, employees must accept that the fact that a particular working arrangement has been granted to one employee does not oblige the Company to grant it to another.