Training Leave (No official Training Leave instrument exists)

Training leave or more specific paid training leave is universally accepted as the normal practice for the cases where the employer asks employees to participate in a training activity. This is irrespective of whether or not there is a relevant specific reference in the employment contract or (a brief mention) in the sectoral collective agreement. The employer then covers all the training expenses because it is generally accepted that it is the employer that will ultimately benefit from the additional knowledge and skills that the employees will acquire through the training process. In the case where the employee asks to participate in a training programme, for his/her own personal benefit, then he/she undertakes to pay all training expenses and lose wages for the duration of the programme (unpaid training leave). Unpaid leave is more common in cases where the employee wishes to obtain a higher tertiary education qualification or attend a scholarship. Paid training leave covers by far the large majority of training leave cases. In some sectors, collective agreements may mention superficially the training leave as a means for upgrading the skills and knowledge of the employees. These agreements never enter into a detailed description of the financial aspect of it since there is no fund to cover training leave, other than the employer himself/herself.