Latest Information
Time to Train
23/06/2008
Skills Secretary John Denham proposes giving employees the right to request time off for training.
On 18th June Skills Secretary John Denham published a consultation on a new idea which would give employees a new right to request time off for training.
It is estimated that up to 22 million employees in England could potentially benefit from the introdution of the right.
All employees who have completed more than 26 weeks continuous employment would be able to request time off to train.
Employers would be obliged to fairly and seriously consider all requests that they receive, using a similar procedure already in place for flexible working requests.
Employers, with good reasons, may refuse a request.
Where an employer does grant a request for time to train it is anticipated that employers will not be compelled to pay for the training. The proposals do not say whether or not the employee would be entitled to receive pay whilst undertaking the training.
A failure to adopt the correct procedures may entitle an employee to complain to an Employment Tribunal and even seek compensation, but the level of compensation has not yet been determined.
Consultation closes on 10th September 2008 and we may see this new right being implemented as early as 2010 depending on its passage through Parliament.
KBL comment: Do employers or employees really need these formal procedures when any employee can already informally approach his employer about training? If the statutory procedures do become law it would seem an employer will still be able to refuse the request with little risk of claims or action, provided the correct procedures are adopted.
