15A.—(1) An employee who exercises or proposes to exercise an entitlement under section 15 may request, in accordance with subsection (2), changes to his or her working hours or patterns, or both, to apply for a set period of time following his or her return to work.

(2) An employee who proposes to request changes referred to in subsection (1) shall, as soon as reasonably practicable but not later than 6 weeks before the proposed commencement of the set period concerned, give to his or her employer a request in writing signed by the employee, which shall specify the nature of the changes requested and the date of commencement and duration of the set period requested.

(3) An employer who receives a request made in accordance with subsection (2) shall consider that request, having regard to his or her needs and the employees needs and, as soon as reasonably practicable but not later than 4 weeks after such receipt, shall—

(a) inform the employee in writing that the request has been refused, or

(b) comply with subsection (4).

(4) An employer complies with this subsection where he or she and the employee concerned prepare and sign an agreement setting out—

(a) the changes to the employees working hours or patterns, or both, as the case may be, and

(b) the date of the commencement and duration of the set period,

as may be agreed between them.

(5) An employer shall retain the agreement referred to in subsection (4) and shall give a copy of it to the employee concerned who shall retain it.

(6) Before the date on which an agreement referred to in subsection (4) is signed, the employee may, by notice in writing signed by him or her and given to the employer, revoke a request under subsection (2) given by him or her.]