HR expert slams to 'time to train' incentive

LEGISLATION designed to give employees better access to training has been labelled ‘a waste of time’ by a leading HR expert. According to Debbie Taylor, Director of Target HR Consultancy, the ‘time to train’ legislation, which will come into force on April 6, 2010, completely misses the point when it comes to addressing employees’ development needs. “The legislation gives employees the legal right to ask for time off so they can undertake training, but, crucially, it does not give them the legal right to it,” Debbie explains. “Employers are under no obligation to meet an employee’s request for time off and, even where it is granted, there is no requirement for the employer to pay the cost of the training. “Up until April 2011, the legislation will only apply to larger organisations with 250 or more employees. The majority of these organisations will already have the appropriate training programmes in place, so the legislation will have a limited impact,” Debbie adds. “All in all, this is legislation for legislation’s sake, which will only serve to increase the amount of paperwork going through HR departments,” she warns. Debbie argues that training has nothing to do with legislation and that employers should be training their staff with the necessary skills to do their jobs as a matter of course. “It would be a sad state of affairs if employees have to rely on employment law to access training,” she explains. “Common sense says that training is vital to improve both staff and business performance and any employer worth their salt should have these kinds of provisions in place,” she comments. “Ineffectual legislation like this only serves to give HR departments a bad name and the government would be better advised to spend their time and money on subsidising training for small businesses. It is only through measures like this, rather than legislation, that the government stands any chance of making a real difference where staff training is concerned,” Debbie adds. For more information and advice on the latest legislation and staff training, please contact Debbie Taylor on 01225 486300, or visit Target HR Consultancy at www.target-accountants.com. ENDS For media enquiries contact Corrina Cockayne at Target Chartered Accountants on 01225 486348, or e-mail corrina.cockayne@target-accountants.com. Editor’s notes Target Chartered Accountants Target is a top 40* firm of chartered accountants working exclusively with entrepreneurial individuals and their businesses around the country. The firm has 14 directors and 180 staff working out of four UK offices in Bath, London, Reading and the Midlands. Established 11 years ago as a specialist tax consultancy, Target are now leading advisers in six core integrated service areas: Audit and Assurance, Business Services, Tax Planning, Corporate Finance, Financial Management and HR Consultancy. *(source: Accountancy magazine, 2010) Employee Study and Training Regulations 2010 Under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, from April 2010, employees will have a right to request time off to undertake training, based on the right to request flexible working. Employers must seriously consider requests that they receive, but can refuse a request if there is a good business reason for doing so. Employers will not be obliged to meet the salary or training costs to enable a request for time off to train to be met. Only companies with 250 or more employees can benefit from this scheme from April 2010 but the legislation will cover all employees from April 2011.

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