BWF members such as yourselves frequently use our Member and Technical Helplines for assistance on a wide range of Employment, Health and Safety, Contractual and Technical issues. We’re putting up a frequently asked question every Tuesday in order to help members and illustrate the type of advice we are able to provide. If you have any questions that you would like to see featured, we would be happy to assist. This question and many others like it can be found in our Question Centre. If you want further advice on any of the issues, don’t hesitate to ring the helpline or browse our extensive publications library, which includes our ‘Discipline in Employment’ guide, redundancy guidance, training advice, procedures for dealing with ill health absences, and, of course, the BWF’s Employee Handbook. This week: Do I have to accept an employee’s request for training? At present, there is no obligation for an employer to accept an employee’s request for training, although from 1st April 2011, small companies will be obliged to consider an employee’s request if it will develop skills relevant to their employment, leads to a qualification, or helps business performance. Companies with more than 250 employees are already obliged to consider such requests from employees.
The training can be delivered on-the-job, through a college or training provider, or on-line. The employer is not obliged to pay for it, or pay the employee’s salary while they are undertaking the training, and the employee must have worked at the company for a minimum of 26 weeks to be eligible. Agency workers are not eligible.
From April 2011, upon receiving a formal request from an employee for ‘time to train’ companies must either:
– Arrange a meeting within 14 days to discuss with the employee; or
– Respond in writing within 28 days of the request being made Whether you approve or refuse the ‘time to train