Flexible working

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What it really means

Changing when, where or how much you work — e.g. different hours, part-time or home working. In the UK, employees have a legal right to request flexible working from day one; the employer can refuse for business reasons. Details are on GOV.UK.

Chinese explanation

弹性工作：调整工作时间、地点或时长，如错峰上下班、兼职或居家办公。在英国，员工从入职第一天起就有权提出弹性工作申请，雇主可以基于业务原因拒绝。详情见GOV.UK。

Example conversation

A: I need to pick my kids up at three. B: You could put in a flexible working request to start and finish earlier.

A：我下午三点得去接孩子。 B：你可以提交弹性工作申请，早上早点上班、下午早点走。

What you could say back

“How do I make a formal request?”

Related phrases

Hybrid Part-time WFH (working from home)

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.

Go deeper

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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake