Where did you work if I may ask? In the companies where I worked there was never such a thing. I worked in 2 companies in Hungary, 2 companies in Germany, 3 companies in Japan and one in the US.
It was always basically assumed that you will study all the necessary things on your own time and when you sit in the office then you make productive things, a.k.a. as you deliver. You always had to code and show some progress of a specific development task each week. There was never such thing as time to research/study.
Let’s explore that a bit with an example. If your boss instructed you to learn a completely new language and refactor an existing production service in it, you would be expected to learn that language on your own time, or purchase training with your own money, outside of the office?
Yes. I would have to take an online course on my expense and/or read some books outside of office hours until I can use the language. Until that time I would have to work on something else which doesn't cost money for the company and I can deliver right away.
But that's the norm. Every company works this way.
Strange — it’s been the norm at every US company I’ve been in since the dot-com boom to allocate time and money to training staff in new technologies if it’s a serious initiative.
It was always basically assumed that you will study all the necessary things on your own time and when you sit in the office then you make productive things, a.k.a. as you deliver. You always had to code and show some progress of a specific development task each week. There was never such thing as time to research/study.