To put in a flexible working request because I live so far away?

[whatsthatsupposetobeaboutbaby]

Is that a valid reason?

My travel is so expensive and with how much my outgoings have increased by it’s getting to the point where it’s like I go to work and I can’t eat that day.

Sometimes I go into the office and I have zero meetings and zero interactions and no other team members are in (we have no anchor days) and it’s a 2 hour commute and costs me £100 a week.

There is a lot of crap on this thread.

You can make a flexible working request for any reason. The "worthiness" of that reason shouldn't be a factor in your employer's decision to agree to the request or not (though, of course, some employers won't necessarily follow the law).

The business can refuse your request if they have good business reasons for doing so. They can't refuse simply because they don't think you have a good enough reason for asking.

Think about the objections that they might be likely to raise and see if you can preempt them by putting workarounds into place. Then put in your request.

No, they’re not. The reason has nothing to do with it. At all. They don’t grant the request because of the reason your give. People just need to stop commenting because they’ve no idea what idiotic nonsense they’re spouting.

Agree with this.

Alright calm down 😄 why would they grant a request then? Surely the reason has something to do with it ?

Can't see if you have answered, so apologies if I missed it - why do you live so far away?

No. It doesn’t. You don’t even have to give a reason if you don’t want to.

Every worker in the UK now has the right to request flexible working and the employed must show a real business reason (listed in the new legislation) to turn it down. And if you appeal, you tend to win. There are obviously certain jobs and roles where it simply isn’t possible, but they’d be able to show that.

The reason has no impact whatsoever. It is purely down so whether or not they have a business need to say no, and you can’t show it isn’t relevant or you can do it anyway etc.

You can ask (it seems perfectly reasonable in your circumstances) and they should genuinely consider it. The only reason they may be hesitant is that once they allow flexible working it quickly becomes entrenched and staff become very resistant to actually attending their workplace. I find this very disappointing tbh because flexible working is awesome if people just don't take the piss!

You sound reasonable though and hopefully your employer hasn't already been burnt by this, in which case you could probably work something out.

Definitely put in a request to wfh, if it is refused ask to do longer days and one day off?

And look for a new, less boring, job.

I’m on my own so a single salary can be difficult and it’s currently costing me roughly £350 a month.

And it’s 2 hours both ways. Completely my fault for going for a job further away, it’s just unfortunately I live in a city that has one of the lowest paid wages and there really isn’t much choice in jobs in my sector.

And like I said previously if I had benefit from being in the office, even things such as training I’d just suck it up. But like today I’ve gone in and just worked at my desk and left, I didn’t meet anyone and no one from my team was in.

@Outtherelookingin

Surely the reason has something to do with it ?

The reason is completely irrelevant and the employee doesn't have to supply a reason.

The employer can only reject a a request on business grounds.

A good employer will support flexible working request, where possible, because generally it leads to better employee wellbeing, better productivity and better retention.

So just take a lower paid job I. Your own town….I mean travelling 4 hours a day on top of your working hours……what sort of life is that?
I travel 15 mins door to door on the days I go into work……the furthest I’ve ever travelled is 25 mins each way……no way would I do what you do

no absolutely not….no reason needed…l.I’m nhs…..there is no box in which to put a reason when a request is made on the application form…it’s assumed that it’s to do with work/life balance……but no manager will ask…..it either works for service need or it doesn’t..,,generally speaking we are granted our requests…..we have people working 8 to 4….or compressing full time hours into 9 day fortnights or 4 days…..or working 7.5 hrs but in between taking an hour out to pick up school children…..it makes for a happy team and staff retention