Studying for a qualification - work time or own time?

[LoveBeingAMum555]

Hi all

Just looking for opinions on this because I have no idea what standard practice is. If you had to study for a qualification for work (this qualification being essential for your role) would you expect to be able to study in work time or would you expect to study in your own time? This is a management role but not full time, hours are 30 per week plus overtime.

I’ve done quite a few professional qualifications for my role, always studied on my own time while work funded the course and also did allow me time off for the exam unless it was a Saturday and I didn’t need it.

Study in own time, but time off for exams. Also "study leave" which would be a couple of days before the exam. Coursework and shit was always in own time.

It is usual for something like this to be written in to a policy and some personal agreement about the funding of the course and paying back if you leave etc Generally though it is give and take, they are paying for your development your contribution is a fair proportion of your time outside of work. As the other poster says, it is usual for time off to be given to attend lectures/training and exams.

In my last job it was both. But mainly at home.

If you need to complete something in work they would allow a certain amount if time. But prep and everythi g else was in your own time.

If I did this I would either do it at work, or on my own time but then put this down as extra hours. It wouldn’t just be done in my spare time.

I used to allow an hour a week in work time. It wasn't written into the policy.

I used to be a lot more generous but a couple of my team took advantage, trying to claim 20+ hours TOIL a week so I had to crack down.

When I've done my own qualifications, it's mainly been in my own time unless I've had a particularly quiet work day.

I am currently studying for a qualification relevant to my post.
My company paid for the course, I am granted 4hrs a week during my working week to focus on it, as well as time out for webinars (once a fortnight for an hour) and 3 sets of 3 day face-to-face workshops.

I am very fortunate.
This is science academia and very flexible.

Own time. I have had to do multiple qualifications which were mandatory for progression and I have had time off for exams but that is it. Rest of it was my own time

Where I work if it was a qualification essential to your role then work would book you onto a course and you would attend in work time. Any additional non contact study would be expected to take place in your own time.

Thanks all. This is going to be quite challenging and time consuming and the first time that anyone in the organisation has done this.

Work want to discuss it with me so I thought that I might ask if they will allow me to have a couple of hours per week paid study time with the rest of the study done in my own time. That seems fair to me and they can only say no. In reality I might struggle to fit these hours into my working week but it would be nice to know that I had the option.

If it involves studying at a college, they should allow the time required for this. Distance learning is a lot more tricky. There should be a policy about what you can have. The course might be unique but is the situation regarding time off? Anything you can negotiate to ensure you have enough time do the course property is important but is the qualification portable to other jobs? This might affect their thinking.

There really should be a policy if the qualification is required for you to do your job. It should set out what time your organisation will give you and what you should do in your own time.

My organisation has both trainee and post qualification schemes for a variety of professional acountancy/audit qualifications. Classroom based learning is classified as work time plus a number of days for revision and the exam itself.

If an organisation wants - or expects - people to study and earn qualifications then it has to invest in that and give them the time to do so. I don't think it is reasonable to expect people to study for professional exams in their own time whilst doing a full time job.

I’ve studied 2 qualifications funded through work - studied in my own time, with the exception of half a day a week paid study time and a 3 day classroom session the week of each exam.

Agree - ages ago I did chartered institute of credit management exams. Work paid for the classes which were held at a local college, in the evening. Gave me time off for exams which I didn't need to take out of my annual leave. I think I might have also got some money towards books.

I had paid day release. My final qualification started at 1 pm and went through to 7.30 pm. I was so busy at work I didn’t take the study leave for that qualification. No one else would have picked up my work so I needed to stay on top of it. Some people on the course had 3 weeks study/exam leave and took holiday as well! I wasn’t that desperate. It’s all about negotiation and juggling.

For mine it’s partly both. I do assignments etc at home in my time and a tutor comes in every four weeks to observe practical skills and discuss stuff etc. I have a four day week so I have time in week to do assignments. Although unpaid it is a useful compromise to have my hours in four rather than five days.

It’s a leadership and management course which I’ve wanted to do and I’ve got a student loan on it. I like the fact I’m not beholden to my workplace afterwards.

I did accountancy. Work paid for study materials and exam entry costs and gave me 2 weeks off each year for revision/exams - all for first exams try. All other studying in my own time, as were costs of retakes and time off for retakes came out of holidays.

I was given a half day study leave each week and work paid for my course along with a book allowance. Qualification was required due to a change in the qualification requirements for my role so I was well supported to do it.

I have studied for a qualification essential to my occupation, as have many people that I have worked with and studying is mainly on own time. There might be some study leave allowances, but definitely not as much as a couple of hours a week, that would be about 13 days a year. I have only seen maybe 2-5 days.

I know 2 people who have attended university or college 1 day per week. In one case it was given as paid work time, but she used annual leave for study time. In another, the staff member worked 4 longer days to free up the day for the course.

It seems highly variable and if there's no precedent, work out what your ideal would be, and negotiate down from that.