To ask Nanny for weekly antigen test ?

[oliveoilandcheese]

Is it reasonable to ask nanny to take a weekly antigen test ? I'm also happy to take one. I'll buy them myself and provide them. I just feel safer that way.

Nanny? Your DC’s grandmother? Your grandmother? Your childminder?

If you're buying them, I think that's fair enough.

Nanny childcare nanny is what I meant.

If you're paying, I see no harm.

Will your DC also take the tests every week? That could be a lot of tests you are buying.

I'm a nanny and would be happy about this!

No I wouldn't get my baby to take the test unless she has symptoms.

I’m not sure about this. What if she doesn’t want to? Are you going to sack her?

If you are paying for them and providing them it's fine

It won't be cheap but neither will not having a job if I can't have a nanny and this is the only way I would feel comfortable. I know the tests aren't 100 percent of course.

Totally not unreasonable request, just make sure you both understand what if positive. As for example positive on a Monday would probably still mean isolating for your family as would have been a close contact on the Friday. If only doing it weekly, what about the contact nanny has with everyone else in between - could have exposed you to it.

What if she is positive- will you still pay her

If you are using the lateral flow tests they aren't even 50%...

You can ask, but if she doesn’t want to, that’s her right.

Is your baby having contact with anyone else other than you and nanny?

@daisypond I have not hired her yet. So I would ask if she's comfortable with it. I know what you mean big picture wise - is it right that this should be part of any employment obligation ? same as the vaccine, would it be right not to employ someone who's not comfortable doing a weekly test or taking the vaccine ? I would say I'm not sure that's right. But in my home I want to feel safe with my baby. That's as far as I can act right now. But I realise it's hypocritical.

@MichelleScarn no

Sounds fine as long as the nanny agrees. In my area of London the general public is being offered free lateral flow tests. They particularly encourage people who are still having to work i.e transport workers, shop staff, school staff, childminders, healthcare staff not able to get testing through work etc. Is this not the same elsewhere? You might not have to pay that way.

A weekly lateral flow test will provide a very low level of reliability. We tried them at work and they were gone within a fortnight, we're now back to 3 times weekly PCR tests. So many were inconclusive results or false positives and a few false negatives too... They're just not very reliable.

I guess they're still better than nothing but I wouldn't get much peace of mind from a positive result on those.

@TheVeryHungryTortoise yeah it's the same where I am, but I want to make it super easy and for us not to have to go somewhere to do it and also not to have to mix with people when we are going to get the test. I don't even go to the supermarket and barely even for a walk when there are too many people. So I don't want to go to a big testing facility. Hence I would buy them and also it's more convenient. I don't want to make her go there either.

Aren’t antigen tests very expensive? And you can’t do them at home, so you will have to pay her for her time to go to a test centre too as well as the cost of the test.

@EileenGC thanks for that info. I have read that they're not 100 percent at all. It's pretty controversial that the gov are really banking on them. But as you say, better than nothing. It's all I can do at the moment. Also if they're so bad, why did they help bring cases down in Liverpool and why are the gov encouraging people to get them.

@daisypond you can do them at home. Around 200 GBP for 20 tests.

I feel you don’t go anywhere why do you need a nanny?

@Dreamingofkfc because I will be going back from Mat leave soon.

I've been a nanny and wouldn't have minded being asked to do it as long as you were going to pay for it- which you've said you will do.