One of the continuing complaints of British firms is the level of red tape they face, and the time and resources that complying with the rules take up.
There has, however, been some good news on the employment law front. The Government has decided to delay the introduction of new rules on the right of employees to request time off work to train. The right for employees to request time for training to improve their skills has been available to workers in large firms (those with 250 or more staff) since April 2010. But following a recent consultation, the Government is to take further time to examine the potential impact of the regulation on smaller firms. As a consequence, moves to extend the right to employees of smaller firms, due to be introduced in April 2011, have been postponed.
John Hayes, the Skills Minister, said: “It is vital that the right balance is struck between support for training and the need to minimise the burden of regulation for smaller companies. We have delayed implementation to allow further, thorough discussion, scrutiny and evaluation.” David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, (BCC) applauded the decision: “The Government’s move to delay the Time off to Train regulations for small- and medium-sized firms is a good start, but we must go further if we are to get companies recruiting and growing their businesses.”