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England & Walesflexible-working

Flexible Working Request Acknowledgement Letter (Employer to Employee) — England & Wales

This is a static, verified master template. AI never generates the clause text below — it only helps you fill in the variable fields after you sign in.

About this template

This flexible working acknowledgement letter confirms to an employee that you've received their flexible working request, sets out the next steps such as a meeting to discuss it, and states the date by which you'll make your decision. It's a faithful reproduction of the ACAS flexible working request acknowledgement letter template, and the decision date is worked out for you by our free Flexible Working Decision Deadline Calculator. It sits within Verstia's Flexible Working process pack, before the outcome letter.

When to use it
When you've received a flexible working request and want to confirm it in writing, explain the next steps, and tell the employee when to expect your decision.
What's included
Fill-in fields for the employee's name and the date of the request, an optional window for arranging the meeting, an optional note about bringing a companion, the automatically calculated decision deadline, and your details.

This document's core is based on a template published by ACAS (inferred to be under OGL-3.0, from ACAS's site-wide licensing notice — not a template-specific statement). Verstia does not claim this text is approved by ACAS — its fidelity to the source is verified by a deterministic diff, not a legal review.

Template preview
FLEXIBLE WORKING REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT LETTER TEMPLATE

letter date
Dear employee name,
Thank you for the statutory flexible working request you made on request date.
We will consider your request as soon as we can.
If we can approve it without any further discussion, I will confirm this in writing.
[meeting_window_supplied => "If it needs further discussion, I will set up a meeting within meeting window days working days to talk about:" / else "If it needs further discussion, I will set up a meeting to talk about:"]
the changes you are asking for
any effects of the change on the organisation
what we can do to support your request
if there are any other options you might consider
[If has_companion_note:] You can bring someone with you to the meeting, for example someone else at work or a trade union representative.
By law, we must give you our decision within decision deadline of receiving your request.
Yours sincerely,
signatory name
signatory job title
organisation name
Variables you will fill in
  • Letter datedaterequired
  • Employee nametextrequired
  • Date the request was madedaterequired
  • Do you want to state a working-day window for arranging the meeting?boolean
  • Working days within which you'll set up the meeting (if applicable)text
  • Include the note about bringing a companion to the meeting?boolean
  • Decision deadline (auto-calculated)textrequired

    Calculated by the flexible-working-decision-deadline calculator: the statutory default is 2 months from the request date (Acas Code of Practice, para 37), extendable only by mutual agreement — not typed free-text.

  • Your name (signatory)textrequired
  • Your job titletextrequired
  • Organisation nametextrequired
Related
Part of the Flexible Working Process Pack (England & Wales) — see all documents and the step-by-step guide
Frequently asked questions
Is this template free?
You can preview the full template and fill it in for free — the preview is watermarked. To download a clean copy you need a paid plan or pack.
Is it legally accurate?
It's a faithful, diff-verified reproduction of the ACAS source, checked by a deterministic diff (not a legal review, and not approved by ACAS). It's general information, not legal advice.
How long do I have to respond to a flexible working request?
You must give a final decision, including any appeal, within two months of receiving the request, unless you and the employee agree a longer period in writing. This letter's deadline field is calculated for you.
Do employees have the right to request flexible working from day one?
Yes. Employees have a statutory right to request flexible working, and since 6 April 2024 it is a day-one right — no qualifying period of service is needed.
How many flexible working requests can an employee make?
Up to two statutory requests in any 12-month period.
Do I have to consult the employee before refusing?
Yes — before refusing, you should consult the employee to discuss the request and consider possible alternatives, in line with the statutory procedure and the Acas Code.

This information is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice on a specific situation, consult a qualified adviser or Acas (acas.org.uk).