Flexible work request response for Australian employers
Responds to an employee's request for flexible working. Eligible employees have a right to request under the National Employment Standards, and an employer must respond in writing within 21 days — this template is built around that obligation.
Flexible work request response
PDF · 2 pages · no signup
General information only, not legal advice.
This template is general information for Australian employers, not legal advice. Obligations depend on the applicable modern award or agreement, the employment contract and the circumstances — confirm anything you are unsure of with Fair Work or a workplace relations adviser. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
Generate a compliant contract
Draft an employment contract for the role in a couple of minutes, with Australian conditions built in — free, no signup.
What's in the template
Everything the letter needs, plus the guidance that keeps it compliant.
The 21-day rule
A dated response structure, because the NES requires a written response within 21 days of the request.
Three outcomes
Approved, approved with agreed changes, or refused — with the fields each needs.
The discussion
A field recording the date you discussed the request, which you must do before refusing.
Reasonable business grounds
A prompt to set out the grounds in writing, which a refusal must explain.
Alternatives
Space for any alternative arrangement you would agree to, or a statement that there is none.
Record keeping
Keep the request and the response together on file.
What the NES actually requires
Four obligations, and missing any one of them undermines the response.
Respond within 21 days
In writing, within 21 days of receiving the request. This is the obligation most often missed.
Discuss before refusing
You must discuss the request with the employee and genuinely try to reach agreement before refusing it.
Explain the grounds
A refusal must be on reasonable business grounds, and the written response must set out what they are.
Offer alternatives
The response should set out any alternative arrangement you would agree to, or state that there is none available.
"Reasonable business grounds" has content
It is not a formula to be recited. Grounds recognised as reasonable include excessive cost, an inability to reorganise work among existing staff, an inability to recruit replacement staff, a significant loss of efficiency or productivity, or a significant negative impact on customer service.\n\nWrite the specific ground that applies to this request and this business. A refusal citing “operational requirements” with no explanation is the version that gets challenged.
How to use it
Four steps.
1. Date the request
Record when you received it — the 21 days runs from there.
2. Discuss it
Meet the employee and genuinely explore whether an arrangement can work.
3. Complete the response
Outcome, and either the agreed arrangement or the specific grounds for refusal.
4. File both documents
Request and response together, on the employee record.
Who uses it
Do clients ask you about flexible work requests?
Flexible requests land hardest in shift-based businesses, where coverage is the constraint. Advisors who bring those clients onto RosterElf can model the roster impact before the response is written — and earn recurring monthly income per employee managed.
Recurring monthly income
$1.00–$2.00 per active employee
Signup bonus
$100 per new client business
Tiered rates
Bronze through Diamond
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Learn moreFlexible work request questions
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21 days from receiving the request, in writing. This is a National Employment Standards obligation and it is the one most commonly missed.
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Only on reasonable business grounds, and only after discussing the request with the employee and genuinely trying to reach agreement. The written response must set out the grounds.
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Recognised grounds include excessive cost, an inability to reorganise work among existing staff, an inability to recruit replacement staff, a significant loss of efficiency or productivity, or a significant negative impact on customer service.\n\nWrite the specific ground that applies. A generic reference to operational requirements is what gets challenged.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.