I want to undertake more training and development but I am worried about being victimised if I ask. What should I do?

You need to ask, "Why you believe you might be victimised and by whom?"

If you have already taken advantage of various training and development opportunities, which have resulted in you being away from your workplace for prolonged periods you might feel that a request for further training might be seen as 'you playing the system'.

You should establish that the further training you propose to undergo will be beneficial, not only to yourself, but to the organisation as well.

If your employer has a policy on training and development, you should consult this to see what the provisions are and that you are complying with those provisions.

If you are a member of a trade union you might wish to talk over your desires and fears with your union representative, or a specialist union learning representative if there is one where you work. You do have a legal right to discuss your needs with a union learning representative during working time, although your employer has no obligation to pay you during that contact time.

You might wish to talk to colleagues to establish whether they have made similar requests and what the consequences have been. Taking the actions above should make you feel more confident and reduce a possible negative reaction from your employer.

You should not be victimised for making such a request. If you feel that you are being victimised this is a serious matter and should be raised using your organisation's grievance procedure. Speak to your union rep if you have one. If you are refused training or are victimised for requesting it and you believe that your employer's refusal or victimisation might also be discriminatory (for example men are generally allowed to take up training opportunities, whilst women are not)you may be able to take a case against your employer to an employment tribunal.

Such claims are difficult and it is best to try and sort things out with your employer, before considering tribunal action. If you are thinking about a tribunal claim, make sure you seek good advice at an early stage. Remember that you must use your employer's grievance procedured before you can bring a tribunal claima and that such claims should normally be brough within three months of the action you are complaining about.