Flexible working

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I currently work full time and have asked have applied via flexible working to reduce my hours to 90% FTE.

Lots of people have flexible arrangements in my office, so it's certainly not unheard of.

My boss has said I can do it for a six month trial period using my annual leave (so not reducing my hours contractually). I do not want to do this because I will have no leave left, especially if they then say the trial hasn't worked and I am not allowed to continue.

What can I do? I am not averse to it being a trial period, but would rather that I genuinely cut my hours in that time and not have to use leave.

Flexible working is a permanent contractual change.

They are just offering to spread out your AL. Not the same thing.

If you haven't already, I would make a formal application and follow up if they don't respond as they are obliged to. Of course, they may say no.

Normally flex working is a permanent change to your contract. But you could ask them to agree to it on a temp basis (say the 6 months) without using your holiday up. Then it could be reviewed at the end of it. If they really won't do that then you could agree to their proposal knowing that if you make it work it will be very difficult for them to say no at the end of it because you will have proved it can work. There is a really helpful factsheet here on flex working. www.yesslaw.org.uk/fact-sheets/flexible-working/