Fact Service August 2010

Issue 32

Right to time off for training under threat

Skills minister in the coalition John Hayes has announced a consultation over the legal right for workers in large businesses to request time off to take up relevant training.

“Before we make any decisions about the future of the right to request time to train, it is important that we gauge views of the regulation and whether it is improving training opportunities for employees” says Hayes.

This consultation will be shorter than the normal 12 weeks and will close on 15 September.

The right at firms with over 250 employees only came into effect in April this year. The right was to be expanded to small and medium businesses from April 2011. Whether that will happen now is extremely debatable.

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=414956&SubjectId=2