Asking for time off to study or train

Some employees have a legal right to ask for time off to study or train. The employer has to consider the request properly, and can refuse only on set grounds. The right applies in a limited set of circumstances, so check the conditions first.

Who can ask

GOV.UK sets out four conditions. You must be an employee, you must have worked for your employer for at least 26 weeks, the training must help you do your job better, and at least 250 people must work in the organisation.

Agency workers, members of the armed forces and children of compulsory school age cannot ask. The right also excludes young people who already have a right to paid study or training time, and 16 to 18 year olds who are already expected to take part in education or training.

Pay

Time off is usually unpaid unless the employer agrees to pay it. The employer does not have to pay for the training, though they can choose to pay all or part of the fees if they think it will benefit the business.

Making the request

Follow your organisation’s rules first. If there are none, write to your employer and say the request is made under Section 63D of the Employment Rights Act 1996. The request should give:

• the date you want to start
• the subject of the study or training
• where and when it takes place
• the training provider
• the name of any qualification you could gain
• how the training would improve your work and benefit the business
• whether you have made a request before, and when

An employer does not have to consider a request that leaves out this information. Employees can only make one request a year.

The employer’s response

The employer has 28 days to accept the request or hold a meeting with you. That period might be longer if the person who deals with these requests is off. You can take a trade union representative or a colleague to the meeting, and you can ask for it to be postponed if that person cannot attend. If a meeting is held, the employer must decide within 14 days of it, unless you agree in writing to extend.

The employer can refuse only on one of these grounds:

• the training would not benefit the business
• it would create extra costs
• customer demands could not be met
• the work cannot be reorganised among other staff
• extra staff cannot be recruited
• it would damage quality or business performance
• there would not be enough work at the times you want to work
• it conflicts with planned structural changes

Appealing

An appeal must be made within 14 days of the employer’s decision. It has to be in writing, dated and set out the grounds. The employer must arrange an appeal meeting within 14 days of receiving it and give a written decision within 14 days of that meeting.

If the problem is not resolved, you can contact Acas or raise a grievance. A tribunal claim is possible only in limited cases, when the employer did not follow the procedure properly or refused the request on the wrong facts. GOV.UK says such claims must usually be made within 6 months of an appeal decision, and that a decision made before 1 October 2026 may carry a 3 month limit.

Training your employer requires

This right covers training you ask for. Training the employer requires as part of the job is a separate matter, and mandatory training explains how it works. For ongoing development, see CPD in the public sector. If what you want is a different working pattern, a flexible working request may fit better. A refusal you think was handled badly can also go through a grievance.