Archive Website of the UK government

Types of flexible working

Working flexibly can bring many benefits to your work-life balance. It can increase the time you have to care for a child or other family member and can make managing these responsibilities much easier.

There are many different types of flexible working pattern. Try to consider the various flexible working patterns before making a request to work flexibly.

A flexible working request can take 14 weeks or longer for your employer to consider and introduce, so there will probably not be an immediate change once you decide on a flexible working pattern.

Flexitime

Flexitime allows you to choose, within agreed limits, when to start and end your working day. You work a standard core time, but you can vary your start, finish and break times each day.

For example, within limits, you may also be able to carry over any excess or shortfall in the number of hours you are required to work. This could be something like one or two days a month.

Homeworking

Homeworking is where you work all or part of your contracted hours from home. It allows you to spend all or part of your working week doing your job from home or a different location to your workplace.

For example, if your job is computer based and you do not have to be in the office every day you could work from home except on the days you have meetings or training.

You will need to have the right equipment, resources and space at home to allow you to do your work.

Term-time working

This is where your work follows school term patterns. You work as normal during term-time then during school holidays you don't go to work but you are still employed. For example you could choose not to work during school holidays in order to care for your children.

Structured time off in lieu

Structured time off in lieu is where you agree to work longer hours during periods of peak activity or demand. These extra hours are recorded and you can then take the time off (with pay) at a less busy time.

Your employer may set limits on the number of hours you can build up over the year and when you can take your time off.

Compressed hours

Compressed hours are where you work your agreed hours over fewer days. For example, instead of working a 35 hour week over five days, you could ask to work the same number of hours over four days.

Normally the overall number of hours that you work each week remains the same.

Part-time working

Part-time working means you are contracted to work less than your normal full-time hours. You normally agree with your employer which hours you work.

It might mean you work the same number of days but for fewer hours each day or that you work for fewer days each week. There are a wide range of potential working patterns that you could agree.

Annualised hours

Annualised hours average out your working time across the year so that you work a set number of hours per year rather than per week. Normally, they are split into core hours that are worked each week and unallocated hours that can be used for peaks in demand.

For example, if your company is very busy between May and September you could work extra hours during this period. You could then reduce your hours during October to April when work is less busy.

Annualised hours means the length of your working week will vary from week to week or season to season according to business need.

Job-share

Job-sharing is where you work part time either, part day, part week or part year and share the duties and responsibilities of a full-time position with another part-time worker. You agree the hours between you and then share the workload, decision making, problem solving and sometimes staff supervision. For example, two employees may share one teaching position.

Staggered hours

Staggered hours are where you and your workplace colleagues have different start, finish and break times, allowing your employer to cover longer opening hours. It is essentially a shift system.

Your pattern of working hours will normally be the same from day to day and week to week. For example, you might start every day at 8.00 am and finish at 4.00 pm.

What to do next

If you are trying to decide on which flexible working pattern would suit your needs, read 'Advantages to flexible working'.

If you are ready to make a request, you should read 'The right to request flexible working' for details on the process you should follow.

• Advantages to flexible working

• The right to request flexible working