The Government is reviewing the right to request time off for training Regulations that came into effect in April 2010.
Skills minister John Hayes has announced a short consultation on the new law as part of wider bid to reduce burdens on businesses. The move follows hints by ministers that the coalition is also looking at shelving or scrapping plans to extend paternity leave.
The legal right for workers in businesses with more than 250 employees to request time to take up relevant training came into effect from 6 April 2010. For small and medium-sized businesses the Regulations will come into effect from April 2011.
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 Regulations and whether they are 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.
The consultation will be shorter than the normal 12 weeks and will close on 15 September.
The Government said the consultation would be “actively promoted” to interested organisations to ensure that a good response was obtained.
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