Policy 5.2 Flexible Working

5.2 Flexible Working

Flexible working offers numerous benefits for both employees and employers. Some of the key advantages for employees include control over your work-life balance, reduction in the need to commute as often,  increased autonomy and control over working patterns, supports better health and wellbeing and it can support productivity.  

Common types of flexible working include: 

• Defining your work location and setting fixed days to work from home and fixed days to work in the office. 

• Reducing hours to work part-time. 

• Compressed hours to work the same number of hours over a shorter period of days.

• Adjusting start times and finish times

• Job sharing where two or more employees share the responsibilities and hours of one full-time position. 

All employees of Leeds University Union have the right to request flexible working from day one of working at LUU. 

Some departments at LUU already offer flexible working hours without the need to request a permanent change to your working pattern. You should check with your manager to see if this is something which can be accommodated within your department. Your chosen flexible hours must be worked within the following boundaries: for office-based staff you must work between the core hours of 10am and 4pm with a lunch break of between 30 minutes and 2 hours between 12pm and 2pm. Other hours must be worked between 7.45am and 6pm. Your total working hours must not be greater than plus or minus five hours at any one time. Variations to your standard working pattern must be agreed with your manager in advance.

If you wish to formally request a change to your working hours you may do so by completing the Flexible Working Request Application Form. You can make two formal requests to work flexibly in any 12 month period. In your application you should explain the reasons for your request and provide as much information as possible about your current and preferred working patterns. You should also indicate when you would like the changes to take effect. 

Once a request has been made, your manager will consider it in line with the needs of the organisation and will request to meet with you to discuss it fully to understand more about your request. 

Should your request be refused the reason for this will be discussed with you. You will be allowed to appeal the decision if there is either new information which was not available at the time the original decision was made, or if you believe the request was not handled reasonably in line with the flexible working policy. A colleague or trade union representative may accompany you to these meetings should you wish them to.

The process (including appeals) must be completed within two months of receiving the initial request for flexible working unless an extension to this is agreed with you.

A successful application may result in a permanent change to your terms and conditions with no right to revert back to your original terms in the future and will be reflected in your contract of employment.