Here’s What You Can Do If Your Boss Won’t Let You Work Flexibly

When former estate agent Alice Thompson asked her employers whether she could finish work earlier to pick up her kids, they refused to accommodate her.

The mum subsequently left her job, later taking action against her old workplace.

This week, Thompson was awarded £185,000 by an employment tribunal after her employer failed to consider flexible working which would’ve seen Thompson either doing a four-day work week or starting earlier to finish early.

The tribunal awarded her the fee after finding the firm’s failure to consider more flexible working put Thompson at a disadvantage. The judge upheld her claim and awarded her almost £185,000 for loss of earnings, loss of pension contributions, injury to feelings and interest.

In a post-lockdown world, even as the Covid pandemic continues, many employees are now finding themselves being asked to get back into the office or workplace.

But some people are still struggling with parenting or caring duties, health vulnerabilities or mental health issues rooted in the pandemic. And plenty more would simply prefer to work more flexibly, especially now they’ve demonstrated they’re able to during the past year and a half of working from home.

So, can your employer force you to come in? And what are your options?