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HSE Flexible Working (HR111): Your Right to Request

Last verified 23 Jul 2026· Published 23 Jul 2026

Since the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, flexible working isn’t just a favour — parents and carers have a statutory right to request it, and every employee can request remote working. Here’s how it works in the HSE.

Your statutory rights

  • Flexible working request — available to parents of children up to 12 (16 if the child has a disability) and to carers: adjusted hours, patterns, reduced hours or remote elements.
  • Remote working request — available to all employees with 6 months’ continuous service (see blended working for how the HSE handles this).
  • Employers must consider requests under the WRC Code of Practice and respond within four weeks (extendable in limited cases). It’s a right to request, not an automatic right to receive — refusals must be grounded in business/service reasons.

Flexible options in the HSE

Depending on the service: part-time and job-sharing, flexitime patterns, compressed weeks, term-time-style arrangements via the Shorter Working Year scheme (HR115), and blended/remote working for suitable roles.

How to apply

Submit form HR111 from the official HSE HR forms page, setting out the arrangement you want and the start date. Going part-time? Check what your new hours mean in the hand with the take-home pay calculator. See our guide to every HSE HR form.

Statutory framework per the Work Life Balance Act 2023 and WRC Code of Practice (2024); service-level availability depends on rosters and clinical need.

Frequently asked questions

Can HSE staff request flexible working?
Yes — under the Work Life Balance Act 2023, parents of children up to 12 (16 with a disability) and carers have a statutory right to request flexible working, and all employees with 6 months'' service can request remote working. Apply in the HSE on form HR111.
Can the HSE refuse a flexible working request?
Yes — it''s a right to request, not to receive. But requests must be considered under the WRC Code of Practice with a response within four weeks, and refusals must be based on genuine business or service grounds.

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