Staff development can take the form of on-the-job training and development e.g. mentoring, coaching of new skills, delegation of new tasks, involvement of a staff member in new activities or new fora etc. This development is typically done by the line manager or another member of staff and does not require time away from work.

Staff development can also take the form off-the-job training such a training courses or development programmes that take place away from the person’s immediate work area. In deciding to support a staff member’s request for off-the-job training, the line manager has to consider the time implications of the person attending and how this will impact the staff member’s own work commitments as well as that of the entire team/department. It is reasonable for a line manager to expect the staff member to ensure that his/her work output and commitments do not suffer as a result of involvement in the training and development activities.

The possible inconvenience of the staff member being away from work has to be balanced with the longer term career interests of the individual and the interests of one’s own department and the institution in having the person capable of doing the job to the best of his/her ability and/or preparing the person for his/her next job in the institution.

It is also important that there is consistency in line management of staff participation in training and development activities. This is important to staff who become concerned with different line managers applying different rules to staff. This is perceived as unfair and may act as a disincentive to staff participation in such activities.  The document below provides the guiding principles for staff involvement in training and development activities in terms of time off work and expectations as regards working back such time and meeting job commitments.

Line managers or staff still requiring guidance should consult their HR Practitioners for their area.

Principles that govern time commitments

For further information related to management of staff development, please refer to:

• Register to be used for all trainings
• Internal development opportunities available
• Invitation to a development conversation
• Staff Development guideline
• Template Departmental report to HR
• Template PDP
• Template Succession plan updated
• The Development cycle

Last Modified: Fri, 29 Oct 2021 10:20:16 SAST