UK staff to have right to ask for flexible working from day one in job

Surveys show that many people view flexible working patterns as important or even a non-negotiable requirement when applying for a job. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

Employees are to get the right to request flexible working from the moment they start a job under new government legislation, in a move welcomed by unions, who urged ministers to go further in terms of making such arrangements the norm.

Millions of people across the UK are currently working flexibly, which can take various forms including working from home, job-sharing, compressed hours, flexitime and part-time and term-time-only working.