Paid Educational leave

• Introduction
• Legal framework
• Objectives
• Types of training
• Training providers
• Target sector(s)
• Target group(s)
• Eligibility criteria
• Stipulations for participants
• Duration of training
• Status of participants
• Application procedure
• Regulation, control and monitoring procedures
• Funding mechanisms
• Overall funding level
• Payment to persons on leave
• Statistics

Iceland has not ratified the ILO convention 140 regarding educational leave. The provisions for educational leave are decentralised, with the rules for each occupational group set out in their statutes where the right for paid or unpaid educational leave is spelled out. However, the implementation itself is subject to agreement between employer and employee in each case. The only overall law on the right to educational leave and the right to funding of education and training during employment on behalf of the employer, are covered by the Act on Vocational Training in Industry, which is then carried out according to the employment agreements of the unions. Unpaid educational leave is also covered as a right in agreements between the social partners, but would be agreed upon individually between employer and employee according to each individual situation. With the short distance between employees and employers, small gateways of bureaucracy and the tradition of informality of the Icelandic society, each individual in Iceland can expect a specific treatment and evaluation according to his/her specific situation.

Wage agreements signed in 2000 stipulate the duty of the employer to provide employees with necessary training in order to keep up with rapid changes in society due to technical, scientific and economical developments. Due to the comparatively low unemployment rate over the last decades in Iceland, employers have seen the necessity to develop specific educational rights and offers for funding to keep up with the demands of the present workplace and employees.

The legal framework for educational leave can be found within social partners' agreements, such as in wage agreements for each trade union. There are also sectoral agreements for specific occupations. The only overall governmental legal framework is the Act no. 19 on Vocational Training in Industry, from 15 May 1992 (http://www.vinnumalastofnun.is/Starfsmenntarad/), stipulating the obligation of employers to provide necessary and adequate training for employees, both during and outside working hours, paid or unpaid. This act lays the ground rules and objectives of any vocational training for employees, which individual unions can then use as the basis for their decisions. This Act was issued on behalf of the Occupational Council, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Labour. The homepage for the Occupational Council is at: http://www.vinnumalastofnun.is/Starfsmenntarad. The agreements for the main occupational groups can be found at the following web sites, representing the major umbrella-organisations of the social partners: www.asi.is (Federation of Icelandic Employees), www.sa.is (Confederation of Employers' Associations) www.bsrb.is (Confederation of State and Municipal Employees).Two sectors have their own regulations about educational leave, making it obligatory for them to take educational leave at regular intervals. Those occupational groups are teachers at all levels and medical doctors.

The main objective of the Act on Vocational Training in Industry is to encourage vocational training for employees of all sectors of industry, with the purpose of:

1. Stimulating productivity and improving the quality of products and services and facilitating the integration of technical innovation and development in Icelandic industry.
2. Encouraging improved know-how and increasing employees' skills in order to meet changes in society and new demands.
3. Increasing the individual's possibilities and strengthening his position on the labour market by providing him with an opportunity to increase his knowledge which will make the individual more capable of employing his skills to tackle new tasks.
4. Providing equal opportunities for people in the labour market and people temporarily outside of it to get vocational training, especially with regards to those with little or no previous vocational education and training experience, with a variety of offers for initial vocational training for specialised tasks or for work in a specific occupation.
5. Facilitating the movement of employees between occupations according to conditions and prospects at each time.
6. Meeting the needs of occupational groups, in danger of losing their employment due to changes in industry and society, for continuing education and training for altered or different jobs according to conditions at each time.

MThe types of training recognised for support on behalf of the employer by granting educational leave and funding are courses, seminars and conferences which can help the employee develop in his work, both at the level of initial and continuing vocational training. Any rules about duration and restrictions of content would be evaluated in each individual situation according to the agreement of the union in question and direct agreement between employee and employer.

Possible training providers would be educational institutions such as colleges, adult education centres and centres for lifelong learning, universities, training centres for specific occupations, recognised by the occupational associations in question, as well as private and public educational institutions offering shorter courses. Each union could introduce stipulations in this respect if needed.

Both the private sector and the public sector offer the possibility for educational leave, paid or unpaid. Because of a faster movement of employees in the private sector, educational leave is more common in the public sector. Specifically targeted sectors in the public sphere are two occupational groups, teachers at all levels and medical doctors.

All groups of employees can apply for educational leave. This includes the public and private sector, skilled, unskilled, employed and unemployed.

These are again spelled out in the agreements for each sector, as there is no overall governmental eligibility criteria. However, teachers and medical doctors would be required to go on paid educational leave at regular intervals.

Persons on educational leave lose their entitlement to educational leave and to funding on part of the employer if they fail to fulfil requirements spelled out in the various sectoral or individual agreements. Employees must present a certificate of fulfilled requirements in order to receive all the benefits of educational leave and also in order to be entitled to funding from the employer.

This is decided in the agreements made by each sector or occupational group.

The status of a person taking educational leave while employed is decided by the wage agreements in force at the time, and does not depend on a centralised decision, as these provisions are not set out by any overall law. The normal procedure is, that a person would retain the normal salary for shorter educational leaves (a few weeks) but would lose any extra payments, such as extra hours, transportation cost, etc. For longer periods, the status of the participant would be negotiated in each instance between the employer and the employee, along the lines set out in the current agreements and depending on the status of the employee within the workplace. Again, teachers and medical doctors would retain their salary in full, even for longer periods of a few months up to a year, as they are specifically requested to take educational leave at regular intervals. The unemployed keep their state benefit if they enrol in a short course, which would improve their employment prospects.

Application procedures are decided upon by each individual agreement in all sectorsand are not spelled out by the public authorities.

As there is no official regulation stipulating educational leave, the control and monitoring procedures are the responsibility of each employee and/or the union.

The social partners can decide on the funding mechanisms for educational leave in both private and public sectors. This is stipulated in their agreements with employers and employees and further decided individually if needed. The public authorities have jurisdiction over funding mechanisms for those groups wishing to take educational leave. The Directorate of Labour (within the Ministry for Social Affairs) provides for training and funding for the unemployed.

The amount that is set aside is decided on by the Vocational Training Funds for each occupation or trade union.

Employees normally keep their full salary for shorter training periods but lose any additional pay for short to medium length training periods and would thus not receive payment for extra hours and other extra payments which are normally fixed if a person works full-time. For longer periods, of a few months, the employee could negotiate keeping a part of his salary. A decision is taken in each individual case. Unemployed people receive benefits from the state if they decide to do training, which would facilitate their reintegration into the labour market.

Overall statistics are not available for an evaluation of the provision of educational leave for the whole country.