To request language training from your employer, show your manager what the training will do for your work: where the language holds you back now, what you will be able to do afterwards, how much time it takes and roughly what it costs. If the language is necessary to do your job properly, Dutch law requires your employer to offer that training free of charge. At the bottom of this article you will find a sample email you can adapt and send.
Who decides on your language training?
It differs per organisation, and it is often less clear than you would think. In practice, three parties play a role:
- Your manager. They see it every day: the meetings where you hold back, the emails that take longer, the clients you would rather pass to a colleague. Often your manager is the one who approves or rejects training.
- HR or L&D. They manage the training budget and the training plan, handle procurement and choose the provider.
- You. More and more employees in the Netherlands have a personal development budget, for example through their collective labour agreement (cao). According to employers’ association AWVN, almost 2.2 million employees had such a personal budget by the end of 2020. If you have one, you partly decide yourself.
Not sure how it works in your organisation? Ask HR first. Then you also know whether your request should go through your manager, a form or a training platform.
Are you entitled to language training from your employer?
Sometimes, yes. Since 1 August 2022, Dutch law (article 7:611a of the Civil Code) states that your employer must enable you to take training that is necessary to do your job. If your employer is obliged to offer that training, it is free for you, study time counts as working time, and the training takes place during working hours where possible.
Language training can fall under this. If it turns out your English is not sufficient for your work, and your employer considers English necessary for your role, that training must be offered free of charge. For this kind of training, your employer may not agree a study cost clause with you either, so no repayment if you leave later.
Is the language not strictly necessary for your current role, but do you want to develop yourself or move up? Then your employer may agree a study cost clause with you. So read that agreement carefully before you sign. Not sure about your situation? Check your employment contract and cao, or ask HR.
How do you make your request strong?
A manager says yes more easily to a concrete plan than to “I would like to improve my English”. Put these four things together:
- The situations. Where do you get stuck now? Think of a weekly meeting in English, presentations to international colleagues, emails to German clients or phone calls with suppliers. For international employees, it may also be Dutch: team meetings, small talk at the coffee machine, emails to Dutch clients.
- The goal. What will you be able to do after the training that you cannot do now? The more concrete, the better. “Lead a client call in English on my own” says more than “speak better English”.
- Time and format. How many hours a week does it take, and does that fit your work? Training at your office or online saves travel time.
- The cost. An indication helps your manager say yes. For your employer it is useful to know that reimbursing training can, under conditions, be exempt from payroll tax through the Dutch work-related costs scheme (werkkostenregeling), and that Language Partners’ training is exempt from VAT.
Say you work as an account manager at a technical company and half your clients are abroad. In the monthly client meeting you leave the talking to a colleague, because you are afraid of misunderstanding a technical question. That is exactly the kind of situation your manager will recognise, and it makes your request concrete.
Want to know when to start? Read why a January start is decided in November.
Do more colleagues recognise this?
Send your manager the Business English Team Scan: 9 statements, 3 minutes, instant insight into where the team stands. That turns your request into a team question.
Sample email to your manager
Adapt the text in brackets to your situation. The more concrete the examples, the stronger the email.
Subject: Proposal for language training in [English/Dutch/German]
Hi [name],
I would like to ask whether I can take language training in [English]. In my work I notice the language sometimes holds me back, especially in [the monthly client meeting / presentations to the international team / emails to clients in Germany].
After the training I want to be able to [lead a client call on my own / respond in meetings without preparing / write my emails faster and without errors]. That saves [time for me and for colleagues who now step in / room to help clients myself].
I have looked at Language Partners. They start with an intake including a writing and speaking assessment, so the training matches my level and my work. The training can take place at the office or online, and takes about [number] hours a week.
Could we talk about this briefly [this week / in our next one-to-one]? I can also request a proposal, so you can see what it costs.
Best regards,
[your name]
What if your manager says no?
Ask why. A no is often about timing or budget, not about the request itself. A few options:
- The budget has run out. Ask whether your request can go into next year’s training plan. Many organisations draw up that plan in the autumn, so asking now is right on time.
- It is not necessary for your role. Check whether you have a personal development budget, or suggest paying part yourself or following it partly in your own time.
- It takes too much time. Suggest a shorter or more intensive option, or a programme with fewer sessions and more self-study in between.
What does Language Partners do once your employer agrees?
The programme starts with a needs analysis and an intake per participant, including a writing and speaking assessment. Then follows a tailored proposal: individual, or in a group of up to eight participants if more colleagues join. We prefer to train at your office, but online or at one of our locations is also possible. Afterwards you receive a certificate stating your CEFR level. Want an idea of the cost first? Our pricing page shows what the price depends on.
Frequently asked questions
Does my employer have to pay for language training?
If the language is necessary to do your job and your employer is obliged to provide that training, it must be free of charge and study time counts as working time. This is set out in article 7:611a of the Dutch Civil Code. For other training your employer is not obliged to pay, but many employers do.
Can my employer ask for the costs back if I leave?
Not if it is mandatory training that is necessary for your role. In that case a study cost clause is not allowed. For training that is not mandatory, your employer may agree a repayment arrangement with you. Read that agreement carefully before you sign.
Can I contact Language Partners myself as an employee?
Yes. You can request a proposal and forward it to your manager or HR. That way your employer immediately has a clear picture of content, duration and cost.
Does language training count as working time?
For mandatory training that is necessary for your role, yes, and the training then takes place during working hours where possible. For other training, it depends on the agreements with your employer.
Want a proposal to show your manager?
Tell us briefly what you need. We will send you a proposal you can forward to your manager or HR.
