Employees get right to request training April 2010
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Issued on 01 April 2010
For the first time employees will have the right to request time for study or
training after legal changes come into effect today.
Time to Train will give workers in businesses which employ more than 250
people the legal right to request time off to take up relevant training.
The right will be made available to all employees from April 2011. This
phased approach will give smaller organisations and businesses more time to
prepare for the introduction of the new right.
Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said:
“We need to empower people to speak about training opportunities and the
benefits they can bring to a business’ success.
“Many companies and organisations are very good at training their staff, but
we need to make sure that all businesses are advising employees on what is on
offer.
“This is where a regulation like Time to Train will be able to help people.
It will give them the confidence to ask about training and skills, allowing them
to take control of their own careers.”
The legal right will allow employees to request time to undertake relevant
study or training that employers are required to consider seriously. The
training should improve the employee’s effectiveness in their job and contribute
to improved business performance and productivity. Employers are not obliged to
approve every request - they can be turned down if there is a good business
reason to do so.
The legislation was included in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and
Learning Act, which received Royal Assent in November 2009.
Guidance for employers on the new right was published in January and is
available through Business Link. Guidance for employees has been made available
on the DirectGov website.
Notes
1. The guidance for employers on the right to time to train is available on
the Business Link website:
www.businesslink.gov.uk/timetotrain .
2. The guidance for employees on the right to time to train is available on
the DirectGov website:
www.direct.gov.uk/timetotrain .
3. The right to time to train was brought in when the Apprenticeships,
Skills, Children and Learning Act received Royal Assent on 12 November 2009.
Press notice available to read here: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/conten
t/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=408558&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=431
4. The right to time to train will apply across Great Britain – England,
Wales and Scotland.
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
About the Author
© Crown Copyright. Material taken from the Department for
Business, Innovation & Skills. Reproduced under the terms and conditions of the
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