The United Kingdom Flexible Working Act

In 2002, the United Kingdom passed new legislation granting employees with young or disabled children the right to request flexible work arrangements from their employers. The law does not guarantee a right to flexible working but seeks to increase flexibility in UK workplaces by requiring a process for negotiation between employees and employers. Stated simply, that process places the initial responsibility on the employee to propose a new work arrangement and explain its potential impact on the employer. The employee and employer must then consider the request together, and the employer may refuse the request only for certain business reasons

The Federal Employees Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules Act (FEFCWA)

Federal law establishes scheduling requirements for government employees, generally requiring federal agencies to set regular work hours over a traditional Monday through Friday workweek. These requirements, along with provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), impede flexible work arrangements (FWAs) for federal employees.1 The Federal Employees Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules Act (“FEFCWA”) removes these legal barriers for two specific types of alternative work schedules (AWS): flexible work schedules (FWS) and compressed work schedules (CWS). Under an FWS, an agency establishes core hours when all employees must be at work and allows employees to choose arrival and departure times around those core hours. Under a CWS, an employee’s bi-weekly, 80-hour work requirement is scheduled by the agency for less than 10 days (e.g., eight 10-hour workdays rather than ten 8-hour workdays)

Recent Developments--Legislation

Recent Developments--Legislatio