Workplace expert Acas has launched a consultation on its new draft statutory Code of Practice on handling requests for a predictable working pattern.
Recent years have seen changing patterns of work and an increase in concerns about the impact that an unpredictable working pattern can have on some workers’ ability to generate a reliable income and to manage their work-life balance.
The government is introducing a new law which will give eligible workers a new statutory right to request a more predictable working pattern.
The legislation gives certain individuals, such as those on zero hours contracts and agency workers, the right to request more certainty around their working pattern.
The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act is expected to come into force in Autumn 2024. If a worker’s existing working pattern lacks predictability in terms of the hours they work, the times they work or the length of their contract, they will be able to make a formal request to change their working pattern to make it more predictable. Once a worker has made their request, their business will be required to notify them of their decision within one month.
Acas’s draft Code of Practice aims to ensure that requests for a more predictable working pattern are handled in a reasonable manner so that a worker’s request is fully understood and considered. It sets out good practice on:
- holding a meeting to discuss a request before making a decision
- who should be allowed to accompany a worker at meetings to discuss a request
- accepting a request where possible
- only rejecting a request for certain legally allowed reasons and being clear about the reasons for rejecting it
- offering an appeal where a request has been rejected
The consultation closes on 17 January 2024.
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