Under the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 1999, employees appointed as representatives have the right to take reasonable paid time off work to fulfil their functions.
Under s.168 of the trade union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, employees who are officials of recognised trade unions have the right to paid time off work to carry out trade union duties or undergo training relevant to those duties.
Employees who are members of recognised trade unions have the right to take unpaid time off at a “reasonable time” to take part in trade union activities, other than industrial action.
Additionally, the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 give employees who are appointed as safety representatives the right to paid time off work to perform their safety functions and undergo relevant training.