We all now have the Right to Request Flexible Working Hours!

The recent government decision to extend flexible working hours to everyone is monumental, and this week on the Kiran Trivedi blog, I’m going to explain why.

Sometimes, Life Just Throws a Curveball

Your personal finances depend on your job. If you want to craft a budget that you can be sure will sustain you and families way of living in the long term, you need to be sure that you’re going to have a secure source of income.

Of course, life isn’t always that simple. Sometimes, it throws a curve ball, and you need flexible working hours to deal with it, whilst maintaining the steady stream of income you need to maintain your personal finances.

Now You Can Request Flexible Working Hours

Until now, flexible working hours haven’t been an option for a lot of people, since previously, they were only extended to carers and those looking after children. So, if you needed flexible working hours and you weren’t either a carer or looking after children, you either had to struggle on, or leave your job to find one that better suited your needs, putting your personal finances at risk.

This is the case no longer, as according to the BBC, the government has now decided to extend the right to request flexible working hours to every single employee. Furthermore, as part of this new right, employees can expect for their request to be considered “in a reasonable manner” by their bosses.

Will and How Will It Affect You?

It’s great news. According to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, it should give over 20 million people the right to request flexible working hours. Translation. It means you very likely now have the right to request flexible working hours.

So we know you can request flexible working hours, but how likely are they to benefit you? Well quite likely, since you can never predict when life will throw something in your way that means you can’t work the traditional 9-5 working day. The government itself has highlighted two groups who may particularly benefit from the policy - older workers preparing to retire and younger workers, looking for extra training while they work.

Kiran Trivedi Readers, Your Personal Finances Will Be Protected!

Essentially, the right to request flexible working hours gives you peace of mind. You can go away, get extra training, deal with what you need to etc. secure in the knowledge that your personal finances will be protected.