6th April 2010 saw the UK Government introduce a number of new pieces of Employment Law.
The Right to Request Time off for Training
The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 will allow employees working for employers with 250 or more employees a right to request unpaid time off to train. This right will be extended to all employees, regardless of the size of their employer, from 6 April 2011. To make a request for time off to train under the new rules, employees will need to have completed six months' employment and the training must be for the purpose of improving both their effectiveness at work and the performance of their employer's business.
The actual procedure which employers will be required to follow in dealing with any request broadly mirrors that which is in place for dealing with an employee’s flexible working application.