Businesses demand red tape immunity

26/08/2008

A business lobby organisation has urged the government to make special allowances for small businesses during a consultation on employee training.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said firms would ‘face the heavy hand of regulation’ if plans to force them to undertake formal meetings with employees who request time off to train are approved by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

The group said they want the government to create an exemption for businesses with fewer than 20 employees, saying small firms should be able to hold ‘one on one’ informal meetings without the need for union representation.

According to the FSB, more than three quarters of businesses undertake ‘some form of training’ – a ‘significant percentage’ of which goes unrecognised by the government.

Colin Willman, the group’s education and skills chairman, said most small businesses engage in training for their workforce.

“We are concerned the employee’s right to request a meeting to discuss time off to train will not only lead to an extra layer of bureaucracy, but will also lead to panic among small businesses that a refusal could be interpreted as constructive dismissal,” he said.

“We believe the best way to engage small businesses with the policy is to keep it informal between employer and employee, making it easier to identify the necessary training.”