New right to request time to train

New right for employees starting from April 2010

The new right will work by giving employees a legal right to ask to give them time away from their normal duties to undertake training that they believe will improve their performance and that or the business.

From April 2010, employees in businesses who employ 250 or more people will have the right to request time to train. Only employees who have worked for the business for 26 weeks will be eligible to amke a request under the new right.

The right will be extended to cover employees in businesses of all sizes in April 2010.

Employer guidance on the new right will be published in January 2010 on the Business Link websites: www.businesslink.gov.uk for England, www.business-support-wales.gov.uk for Wales and www.bgateway.com for Scotland.