A consultation has been launched to consider the future of the right to request time to train. The legal right for workers in businesses with more than 250 employees request time to take up relevant training began April this year.

The Government has announced a review of all regulations in a bid to reduce burdens on business. This consultation aims to gather opinions on the right to request time to train and will feed in to the review. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is interested in hearing views on the regulation from employees, businesses and other interested parties.

Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning Minister, John Hayes, said:
“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.
“We believe it is important that all regulations are properly scrutinised and we are therefore interested in hearing views on the future of this right and its role in promoting training in the workplace, which I see as vital to our economic success.
“I have asked my officials to ensure that this consultation is actively promoted to ensure that we get a broad range of views.”