First-time employees have the right to request time for study or training under new rules that come into force.

Time to Train gives workers in businesses of more than 250 staff the legal right to request time off to take up relevant training.

The phased approach aims to give smaller organisations and businesses more time to prepare for the introduction of the new right.

Employers are required to consider requests seriously but employers are not obliged to approve every request and can turn them down if there is a good business reason to do so.

Guidance for employers on time to train is available on the Business Link website: www.businesslink.gov.uk/timetotrain.