Can Employees Refuse Training?

You arrange training for an employee and they tell you they do not want to attend.

Perhaps they say they already know how to do their job, the training is a waste of time or they simply do not think they should have to do it.

So, can an employee refuse training? It depends on what the training is, why the employer requires it and the employee's reason for refusing. There is a significant difference between declining an optional development opportunity and refusing training that an employer reasonably requires someone to complete as part of their job.

Can an Employer Make Training Mandatory?

Yes, in many circumstances. Employers need to be able to train employees so they can carry out their roles properly, safely and in line with the organisation's requirements.

Some training may be required by law or regulation. Other training might be necessary because the organisation has introduced a new system, changed a process, identified a skills gap or needs employees to understand an important workplace policy.

The employee's contract, job description or workplace policies may also make clear that they are expected to undertake relevant training.

Even where a particular course is not specifically mentioned in the employment contract, an instruction to complete reasonable training connected with the employee's role will often be a reasonable management instruction.

What Is the Difference Between Mandatory and Optional Training?

Not all workplace training has the same status. An employer might offer an employee a development course, qualification or workshop that would be useful but is not actually required for their role. If it is genuinely optional, the employee may be able to decline it.

Mandatory training is different. This could include health and safety training, safeguarding, data protection, training required to use particular equipment or systems, or other training the employer has reasonably determined employees need to complete.

Calling something "mandatory" does not by itself settle every question about whether an employee must attend. The employer should still have a genuine reason for requiring it. But where the training is reasonably necessary for the employee's work, simply saying "I don't want to do it" is unlikely to be enough.

What If the Employee Says They Don't Need the Training?

This is quite common, particularly where an employee has been doing their job for a long time. They might believe they already know the subject or that the training will not teach them anything new. That does not necessarily mean they can refuse to attend.

An employer may need everyone to complete the same training to make sure employees have received consistent information, understand current procedures and are working to the same standards. Previous experience does not always mean someone's knowledge is current. Managers should be prepared to explain why the training is required rather than simply repeating that it is mandatory.

What If the Employee Has Already Completed Similar Training?

Look at what they have actually completed. If the employee has recently undertaken equivalent training, it may be reasonable to consider whether they genuinely need to repeat it. In some cases, evidence of previous training may satisfy the employer's requirement. In others, it will not.

The organisation may require employees to complete its own training because it covers specific policies, systems or procedures. There may also be refresher requirements or changes since the employee last completed the training.

The answer should be based on what the training is intended to achieve, rather than automatically making someone repeat a course simply because everyone else is doing it.

Can an Employee Refuse Training Because of a Disability or Health Condition?

An employee may raise a health or disability-related reason for being unable to participate in training in the way it has been arranged. That should not automatically be treated as a refusal to cooperate.

The employer should understand what the difficulty is and consider whether adjustments could enable the employee to participate. That might involve changing the format, providing additional breaks, making materials accessible, allowing additional time or arranging the training differently.

There may be circumstances where a particular form of training is genuinely unsuitable for someone because of their health. The focus should be on whether the employee can complete the necessary training with appropriate support, rather than immediately moving into a conduct process because they have said they cannot attend.

What If the Employee Objects to the Content of the Training?

Sometimes the objection is not about attending training generally but about what is being taught. An employee might disagree with the organisation's approach, believe the subject is irrelevant to their role or object to particular content.

Managers should listen to the concern and understand what the employee is actually objecting to. Employees are entitled to raise questions and concerns. That does not automatically give them the right to opt out of reasonable workplace training.

If the training is legitimate, relevant to the workplace and reasonably required by the employer, an employee may still be expected to complete it even if they personally disagree with aspects of it.

Can Employees Be Required to Complete Training Outside Their Normal Working Hours?

This needs more thought than simply telling someone that attendance is mandatory. Employers should consider the employee's contractual hours, whether the training time counts as working time, how additional hours will be dealt with and whether there are any practical reasons why the employee cannot attend at the proposed time.

Part-time employees can be particularly affected where training is routinely arranged on days or at times they do not normally work. If attendance is required, employers should plan how mandatory training will be accommodated rather than assuming employees must complete it in their own unpaid time.

Is Refusing Training Misconduct?

If an employer has reasonably instructed an employee to complete training that is necessary or relevant to their role, and the employee refuses without a reasonable explanation, this may amount to a failure to follow a reasonable management instruction. That could become a conduct matter.

However, managers should establish why the employee is refusing before moving immediately to disciplinary action. There is a difference between someone saying, "I'm not doing it because I don't want to" and someone raising a genuine concern about their health, working hours, accessibility or the arrangements for the training.

Once those issues have been explored, an employee who continues to refuse a reasonable instruction may need to be told clearly what is expected and what could happen if they continue not to comply.

What If the Employee Keeps Refusing Mandatory Training?

Start with a conversation. Explain why the training is required, what the employee is expected to complete and the reason it matters to their role or the organisation.

Give them an opportunity to explain their objection and consider whether there is anything legitimate that needs to be addressed. If there is not, make the management instruction clear. It can be useful to confirm the requirement in writing, including when the training needs to be completed.

If the employee then continues to refuse without a reasonable explanation, the employer may need to consider its disciplinary procedure. The issue at that point is not simply that the employee "doesn't like training". It is whether they are unreasonably refusing to follow a legitimate management instruction.

What If the Employee Cannot Do Their Job Without the Training?

If the training is genuinely necessary for the employee to carry out particular duties safely, legally or competently, the employer may not be able to simply allow them to continue doing those duties without completing it. For example, the employee may need training before using particular equipment, following a new procedure or carrying out work where specific knowledge is required.

The employer should consider what work the employee can safely and appropriately undertake while the issue is being resolved.

If the employee continues to refuse training that is genuinely necessary for their role, the employer will eventually need to address the consequences of that refusal rather than leaving the situation unresolved.

Should Managers Automatically Treat Training Refusal as a Disciplinary Issue?

No. The first question should usually be: why are they refusing? Sometimes the problem can be resolved very easily.

The employee may have misunderstood why the training is required, have already completed something equivalent or have a practical difficulty with the date or format.

But managers should not go too far the other way and assume an employee can simply decide which reasonable workplace requirements they want to follow.

Where training is genuinely required, the employer has explained why, reasonable concerns have been addressed and the employee still refuses without good reason, it may become a conduct issue.

Need HR Support?

If an employee is refusing mandatory training or you're unsure whether a management instruction is reasonable, BloomHR can help.

We provide practical HR advice to small businesses, including support with employee conduct, performance, workplace policies and difficult people management issues. Contact us for more information.