Take The ‘Time To Train’ Survey
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July 4th, 2008
The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills has issued a consultation which considers that all employees should have the right to request training from their employers.
The new right would operate along the same lines as the right to request flexible working. However, whereas the right to request flexible working is confined to certain people in certain family situations, the right to request training would apply to all employees.
The new right is a right to request training, rather than a right to receive training.
The key proposals are:
- The training requested must help the employee to be more productive and effective at work;
- Where training requested ties into nationally funded schemes (such as Train to Gain, employers will be able to claim funding;
- Employees must have been working for their employers for a period of not less than 26 weeks;
- Employees, after consideration of their training needs (with third parties if needs be) would need to submit a request in writing;
- Employees can have a representative with them to attend any employer meeting to discuss this right;
- The number of requests would be limited to one in twelve months;
- There would be right of appeal to the employer, and following that to an employment tribunal. Such appeals would only be allowed where the employer failed to follow correct procedure.
In the proposals, employers could refuse training for the following reasons:
- Lack of relevance of training to business;
- Suitable training is unavailable;
- Burden of cost;
- Detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand;
- Inability to organise work among existing staff;
- Inability to recruit additional staff;
- Detrimental impact on performance;
- Detrimental impact on quality;
- Insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work; and
- Planned structural changes.
The purpose of the proposals is to ’serve to raise employers’ awareness of the importance of skills to their businesses’ and to act as ‘a significant driver of cultural change, and action, in relation to skills’.
The British Chamber of Commerce want to know what you think. Please take our quick survey to share your views on how this will effect business and whether or not it will change how training is delivered. Take the survey here.
The full consultation can be found on the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills website.
