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Education and Skills Bill

The employer must then reach a reasonable decision as set out in subsections (2) and (3): "““The employer must, so far as is reasonable having regard to the matters mentioned in subsection (3), permit the person to participate … Those matters are … the needs of the person in order to fulfil the duty imposed by section 2 … the circumstances of the employer’s business … the effect of the person’s absence from work on the running of that business””." The employer must act so far as is reasonable, whether the notice is given in writing or orally. It is not affected either way.