Your four rights at a glance
These are four separate legal rights. You can use more than one — for example, ask for flexible working and keep Carer's Leave in reserve for a bad week. They are mostly Great Britain rights (Northern Ireland has its own, broadly similar, rules — see below).
1 · Flexible working — a request
A day-one right (since 6 April 2024) to ask to change your hours, times, working location (including working from home), do a job share, compressed hours or flexitime. Up to 2 requests in any 12 months. It's a right to request, not a right to get it.
2 · Carer's Leave — planned, unpaid
A day-one right (since 6 April 2024) to up to 1 week (5 days) of unpaid leave in any 12-month period to care for, or arrange care for, a dependant with a long-term care need. Take it in half-days, full days or one block.
3 · Time off for dependants — emergencies
A day-one right to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependant — they fall ill, a care arrangement breaks down, an incident at school. It's for sorting it out, not long-term care.
4 · Unpaid parental leave — for parents
Up to 18 weeks per child, up to the child's 18th birthday — usually a maximum of 4 weeks per child per year, taken in whole weeks. From 6 April 2026 it's a day-one right.
Flexible working — how to ask
Since 6 April 2024, the right to make a statutory flexible working request is a day-one right — you no longer need 26 weeks' service. "Flexible working" covers changing when you work (start and finish times, compressed hours, flexitime), how much you work (part-time, job share), and where you work (working from home or hybrid).
The rules
- You can make up to 2 requests in any 12-month period.
- Your employer must deal with the request within 2 months (unless you both agree a longer time).
- Your employer must consult you before turning it down.
- They can only refuse for one of 8 business reasons (below).
Making the request
Put it in writing, date it, and say clearly that it's a statutory flexible working request. Set out the change you want, the date you'd like it to start, and — helpfully — how any impact on the team could be handled. You don't have to give a reason, but explaining how it would work can make a "yes" easier.
The 8 business reasons an employer can refuse
An employer can only turn down a statutory request for one of these reasons set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996:
1. The burden of additional costs. 2. A detrimental effect on meeting customer demand. 3. An inability to reorganise work among existing staff. 4. An inability to recruit additional staff. 5. A detrimental impact on quality. 6. A detrimental impact on performance. 7. An insufficiency of work during the periods you propose to work. 8. A planned structural change to the business.
If it's refused unfairly
Use your employer's appeal or grievance process first. Get free, impartial advice from ACAS on 0300 123 1100. If the request wasn't handled properly — for example, no consultation, no decision within 2 months, or a refusal that doesn't fit one of the 8 reasons — you may be able to take a claim to an employment tribunal (usually after ACAS early conciliation).
Carer's Leave & time off for dependants
These two rights are easy to confuse, so here's the difference: Carer's Leave is planned (you arrange it in advance); time off for dependants is for emergencies (something has gone wrong today). Both are unpaid and both are day-one rights.
| Carer's Leave | Time off for dependants |
|---|
| For | Caring for a dependant with a long-term care need | An unexpected emergency involving a dependant |
| How much | Up to 1 week (5 days) per 12 months | A reasonable amount — no fixed limit |
| Notice | In advance (at least twice the leave length, or 3 days, whichever is longer) | Tell your employer as soon as you can |
| Paid? | Unpaid | Unpaid |
A "dependant" includes your spouse or partner, child, parent, someone who lives with you (not a tenant or lodger), or someone who reasonably relies on you for care. Carer's Leave can't be refused outright, but your employer can postpone it for a genuine business reason and must give you the leave within a month. You're protected from being treated unfairly or dismissed for taking either type of leave.
Carer's Leave is not Carer's Allowance
Carer's Leave is unpaid
time off work.
Carer's Allowance is a separate weekly
benefit for people who care 35+ hours a week — different thing, different rules. You may be able to use both. See our Carer's Allowance guide.
Unpaid parental leave
If you're a parent (or have parental responsibility) you can take up to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave per child, any time up to the child's 18th birthday. The usual maximum is 4 weeks per child per year (unless your employer agrees more), and it must be taken in whole weeks rather than odd days — unless your employer agrees otherwise or the child is disabled.
- It's unpaid and is on top of paid maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave.
- You give at least 21 days' notice; your employer can sometimes postpone it (but not parental leave taken right after a birth or adoption).
- From 6 April 2026 it's a day-one right — previously you needed 1 year's continuous service.
For the paid leave routes around a new baby, see our guides on Statutory Maternity Pay and Statutory Paternity Pay.
Do this now
If you want to change how you work — 3 steps
- Decide which right fits. A permanent change to hours/location → flexible working request. Planned caring → Carer's Leave. An emergency today → time off for dependants. Time with your child → unpaid parental leave.
- Put it in writing. For flexible working, email your manager or HR, date it, say it's a statutory request, and state exactly what you want to change and when.
- If you hit a wall, get free help. Call ACAS on 0300 123 1100 for impartial advice, or Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.
Check your contract and staff handbook too — many employers offer more generous flexible working, paid carer's leave or enhanced family leave than the legal minimum.
A right to request, not legal advice
Flexible working is a right to ask — your employer can lawfully say no for one of the 8 reasons. SortedUK gives general information, not legal advice, and we're not a law firm. For a dispute, dismissal or tribunal claim, get free help from ACAS (0300 123 1100) or Citizens Advice.
Northern Ireland: employment law is separate. NI has its own flexible working rules and time-off rights — the day-one flexible working right and the GB Carer's Leave reform don't apply identically, so check the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) and nidirect for the NI position.