FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions for Job Seekers

You can find flexible roles through specialist job boards, dedicated recruitment consultancies, and major job sites that allow you to filter by options such as part-time, hybrid, or remote working. Partnering with a consultancy that focuses specifically on flexible work, like ours, can significantly streamline your search.

If you’re looking for a flexible working job, Flex Matters can help you identify employers with proven flexible-working policies, shortlist roles that genuinely align with your preferred working pattern and help you avoid positions that market flexibility without offering it in practice.

Flexible working comes in many forms. According to the CIPD, this can include changes to when you work, where you work, how long you work, job sharing, or variable hours. Common flexible working options include:

· Hybrid working (splitting time between home and office)

· Remote work

· Part-time hours

· Compressed weeks (for example, working 37.5 hours across four days)

· Job sharing

· Flexi-time

· Staggered start and finish times

These options are designed to improve productivity, wellbeing and work-life balance. GOV.UK recognises them as legitimate statutory options. Flex Matters helps candidates connect with employers who actively support and embed these flexible work models.

Example: If you are a parent, you might request a later start to manage the school run. If you prefer compressed hours, you could work longer days to keep Fridays free for personal commitments.

Yes. Since April 2024, all employees in the UK have the right to request flexible working from their first day of employment. The CIPD notes this as a significant change in workplace legislation that promotes more inclusive hiring and better employee retention. Flex Matters supports candidates by helping them set out their preferred working pattern before starting, ensuring clarity and alignment with the employer from the outset.

To make a flexible working request, be clear about the type of flexibility you need, such as part-time hours, hybrid working, compressed weeks, or staggered start/finish times.

· For a new job: Discuss flexible working early in the application process, through your cover letter, pre-screening call or interview.

· For your current job: Submit your request in writing, outlining your proposed working pattern. Working Families recommends showing how the arrangement will maintain results and indicating willingness to trial or adjust based on business needs.

If you are looking for a new role with flexible working, Flex Matters can help you find suitable opportunities and present your preferred working pattern to employers without affecting your chances.

Yes. ACAS confirms that every employee in Great Britain has the legal right to make a flexible working request, regardless of their role or circumstances. You don’t need a specific reason (like being a parent or carer) to make the request, it is a universal statutory entitlement.

Yes. Employers must consider statutory flexible working requests in a “reasonable manner”, following the ACAS Code of Practice. They must not treat you unfairly or subject you to detriment for making a request.

Example: If you request for hybrid working and your performance reviews suddenly become negative without reason, employment law may protect you. Knowing these protections allows you to approach negotiations with confidence.

Your employer must give a written explanation based on one of the statutory business reasons outlined by Citizens Advice (e.g., impact on performance, inability to reorganise work, or cost). You can:

· Request an internal review

· Appeal the decision (if available)

· Raise a formal grievance

· Seek external mediation

· Consider an employment tribunal if the process wasn’t followed correctly

Returning to work after a career break can feel daunting. It’s natural to worry about CV gaps, keeping your skills current, or adapting to a new workplace. When applying for roles after a break, it’s important to be transparent and strategic. Instead of just noting the gap, frame it around the skills, experience, and perspective you gained – for example, project management, problem-solving, remote collaboration, volunteering, professional development or caregiving.

Flexible-working employers increasingly value candidates who return with adaptability, focus, and resilience. Our team will help you turn your career break into an advantage, refining your CV and interview approach to highlight transferable skills and align your experience with the role, positioning you as a confident and capable candidate for flexible-working opportunities.

No. In the UK, job-seekers do not pay recruitment agencies for finding work. Employers cover the cost of placements, not candidates. This means you benefit from expert job-search support, CV guidance, and flexible-working negotiation at no cost to you.

Don’t miss out on this advantage, register with us today and take the first step towards finding a flexible role that truly fits your career and lifestyle.

As a recruitment consultancy that specialises in flexible recruitment, we can:

· Connect you with genuinely flexible employers offering part-time, hybrid, or remote roles, not those who simply use flexibility as a marketing claim.

· Facilitate early conversations with hiring managers to ensure your working pattern is clearly understood and supported.

· Provide market insights on the most flexible sectors and companies.

· Match your desired working pattern with roles that genuinely support it.

· Offer personalised job-matching tailored to your skills, preferences, and career goals.

· Optimise your CV and experience to highlight skills, career breaks, freelance work, or part-time roles professionally.

· Prepare you for interviews and guide you on articulating flexibility requirements effectively.

· Leverage a decade-long network to access opportunities that align with your career ambitions.

To see how we’ve helped other candidates find genuinely flexible roles, take a look at our Testimonials.