Equality and Human Rights Commission

If your employer is making decisions about the hours you work, whether you can work flexibly or have time off, equality law applies to what they are doing.

Equality law applies:

• whatever the size of the organisation
• whatever sector you work in
• whether your employer has one worker or ten or hundreds or thousands
• whether or not your employer uses any formal processes or forms to help them make decisions.

Pages in this section include:

Core guidance: Working hours, flexible working and time off

Situations where equality law is different

Decisions about hours of work and flexible working

Avoiding direct and indirect discrimination

Reasonable adjustments to remove barriers for disabled workers and avoiding discrimination arising from disability

Changes to hours of work or flexible working on the basis of association with a protected characteristic

Requests for changes to hours of work or flexible working relating to a worker's religion or belief

Requests for changes to hours of work or flexible working relating to a worker's gender reassignment

A helpful approach for your employer to take

Decisions relating to time off

This guide also contains the following sections, which are similar in each guide in the series, and contain information you are likely to need to understand what we tell you about working hours, flexible working and time off:

Information about when an employer is responsible for what other people do, such as workers employed by them

Information about making reasonable adjustments to remove barriers for disabled people who work for you or apply for a job with you

Advice on what to do if someone says they’ve been discriminated against

A glossary of words to help you understand this guidance

Information on where to find more advice and support