Forcing small businesses to conduct formal meetings with employees who request time off work to train could leave them facing a bureaucratic nightmare, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned.

In its response to a consultation on government proposals to allow staff to request time off work for training, the FSB called for companies with fewer than 20 staff to be able to hold informal one-on-one meetings without the need for union representation.

"The ‘time to train' process is too expensive and bureaucratic for small firms as it stands," said Colin Willman, education and skills chairman at the FSB.

"The FSB is concerned that the employee's right to request a meeting to discuss time off to train will not only lead to an extra layer of bureaucracy, but will also lead to panic among small businesses that a refusal could be interpreted as constructive dismissal."

The FSB claims 76% of small businesses conduct some form of training but much of this is not recognised by the government.