To think free flu jabs for NHS admin staff is ridiculous??

[thisisjustridiculous]

My SIL is admin staff in the NHS, she has no patient contact and no real contact with medical staff, beyond half an hour a week.

She’s just got a free flu jab! AIBU to think this is disgusting? It must cost the NHS so much, admin staff should have to pay. I agree that frontline staff should get it for free to protect the vulnerable but admin staff shouldn’t.

Yes you are being very unreasonable, and utterly ridiculous tbh.

Loads of employers offer free flu vaccines to staff. It’s for the employers own benefit to reduce sickness absence. And all sickness absence costs, no matter what job people do.

You’re acting like they’re dishing out unlimited annual leave or massive bonuses, it’s a bloody flu vaccine ffs.

It's basic maths, really. £15 for a jab vs £100s in sick pay. What's not to understand?

I agree. Get rid of all admin staff. I want to see surgeons organising appointments, ordering stock, sorting out the buildings and writing to patients.They can sort out training, insurance, maintenance and cleaning. Once they’ve done that they can do all the doctoring stuff.
I love so much about you OP - you seem a genuine delight - I love that you think the NHS pay £15 for each flu jab.
Flu is highly contagious and can wipe out groups of people quickly - I remember one Christmas where everyone in my family had it. So it make no sense to get the vaccine. Let’s shut down entire departments just for the lols.

yes, I was going to say OP is really going to kick off when she realises it's very much not just the NHS who pays for their workforce to get it!

If only we lived in a democracy where she could apply for a job that offers such benefits if it means so much to her...

"NHS admin staff should be forced to pay for flu jabs out of their own pocket" is one of the weirdest takes I've seen on any thread on MN, and there are some bizarre opinions on here.

Does it not occur to you that the cost of sick leave is vastly more than the cost of flu jabs for administrative staff? Or that there is a benefit to wider society from those people having a flu jab? They are helping to protect those around them - more flu jabs means fewer people going off sick overall wherever they work (better for the economy) and reduced risk of vulnerable people being exposed to flu (better for the NHS). Surely only an idiot is unable to see this?

(Full disclosure: I work for the NHS in a non-patient facing role. I never used to take up the offer of a free flu jab until I had my daughter - now I do, because she's too young for a flu vaccine and I want to do whatever I can to protect her.)

I agree. I'm nurse and our office is an old stock cupboard. We would be lost without our admin staff. They're not patient facing, but we are, then we come in to contact with them. I'm all for them having a flu vaccination.

A toilet was converted to an office in the trust I worked for.
Not a block of toilets... a cubicle.

Baffles me that anyone would want it let alone pay for it

You are seriously that people don't want flu?😂

Wow. You really don’t like your SIL do you?

I think they might be the reason you can access the care. Consultants aren’t organising their own appointments.

I get a free jab, I get paid £200 a day for my job (not NHS). If I ring in sick work pay £280 a day to cover me, if I had a week off with flu that costs them £1400 on top of still paying me. I’m not that bothered for a flu jab, but because work pay and organise it I go for it. The NHS likely save money giving their staff free jabs.

? Not sure what you mean?

And so far at least the OP is digging her heels in. I'd be embarrassed for her if I could be bothered.

I work in higher ed, since Covid we have all had free flu jabs. Last year they stopped it in an effort to save money, sick leave went through the roof, this year they have reinstated the free flu jabs 🤷🏻‍♀️

its extremely cost effective for the tax payer. The cost of absent sick employees /treatment costs would harder outweigh any preventative measures

Thank you ❤️ very much appreciated.
I’m not going to comment on the jab nonsense 😂

As are NHS admin staff

I work for the nhs in an admin role and yes they offer ALL staff the flu jab for free.
This isn’t just to protect staff who are patient facing it is to minimise disruption to services over the winter months with people going off sick.
Hospitals cannot run without admin staff and this @thisisjustridiculous is a really short sighted view for a vital public service.

We also get full sick pay which costs the NHS more than a £15 jab - think about it

Worrying that anyone should be 'forced' to do anything in a work capacity that could have long term health implications surely?0

We get free flu jabs - big bank

I was a medical secretary for many years and ultimately managed a department. I can assure you I had plenty of daily patient contact and anyone can get the 'flu from other people, they don't have to be patients. Commuting to work on public transport means exposure. The NHS don't want their staff falling ill! If I was ever ill I'd come back to all sorts piling up.

I had free jabs on a few occasions, not just for 'flu..

Honestly, what a thing to be resentful about. There aren't many perks to working in the NHS.

They dont want their staff coming into contact with flu symptoms then passing them on to vulnerable people

Every company I have ever worked for gives free flu jab vouchers to employees. Private companies. Shock horror - you're also paying for that in the price of the goods and services you're buying. Except you're not. Because as every one has pointed out, the cost benefit is in the favour of giving out flu jabs for free to keep companies functioning during the winter.

I do not understand such misplaced outrage.

It’s almost funny how irate some people can get when they think someone is getting something and they’re not getting it.

Almost.

This is one of those things where the admin time required to decide who does and doesn't need it would cost more than the money gained from cutting some jabs..

In my team for example all but one of the admin sees patients in some capacity. Going through every trust team to find the percent eho dont have patient contact would take a long time.