Would you expect to be paid to attend a first aid course? Advice please!

[london111]

I would like my nanny (who I employ for one day only) to attend a first aid course. I am paying for the course (and lunch etc). However, I am uncertain as to whether I should also pay for her time? The course isn't on a day she works for me. My friends are divided when I asked - some say it is a life skill which should be enough/enhances cv and most nannies/childminders etc have to pay for it themselves, others say it is something I am requesting therefore I should pay. I did raise at the interview and she offered to pay for the course herself but I don't want to take advantage. It would make the course VERY expensive so would rather not pay (!) but I want to do the right thing. What would you expect?

If my employer wanted me to attend work related training then I would expect to be paid.

I don't think you can ask her to go and not pay her. What would you do if she declined to go?

As a nanny, I think it is my responsibility to keep my first aid up to date, so I would never expect my boss to pay me for going to the course - I wouldn't even expect them to pay for the course.. I'd expect to have to do it in my own time and pay for it myself, as in the end it makes ME more employable - not many people would hire a nanny without first aid! But I think it's really nice of you to offer to pay for the course!

Does she nanny for someone else, so it would benefit her more than you? I suppose that would make a difference to who paid.

I'm not sure what the answer is tbh. DH works full time for a large company and got paid to attend and also gets an extra days leave per year for being qualified. Not really relevant to you, but it's the only experience I have!

What Uninspired said.

As a nanny I wouldn't expect to be paid to go on such an essential course. I would be glad that you were paying for the course (FWIW I have always paid for and kept up to date my own first aid)

As a nanny I don't expect my boss to pay for my training, or to give me time off to attend courses or to be paid whilst attending courses.

I can see it's tricky though, as if working for a large company then you would get training as part of the job, which often would be in work time - thus course and time paid.

You are not a large company though.

If it were a more specialist course, such as say tubefeeding perhaps, then maybe I would view it differently... I'm not sure though as the course would benefit me.

Has your nanny asked to be paid?

As a professional nanny I have always done the paediatric first aid course - and have always paid for it myself and have done it in my own time. I get the point that others have made - that in most jobs if your employer expects you to do a course they pay, but I feel this is something so essential to me doing my job and as it's the sort of qualification that you need to update regularly then it's something that I am happy to do.

If I was your nanny I would be delighted and very grateful that you had offered to pay for the course but would certainly not be expecting to be paid for those days. You're a very thoughtful employer

It would be different if she was attending on a work day but she isn't. Unless she works for someone else that day and would lose pay?

I would guess that if she offered to pay for the course fee, she was probably assuming you would be footing the bill for her time = she was in effect offering to split the cost pf the day with you. In other words, she was taking on board that it was you that wanted her to do the course, but also that she would derive some personal benefit. But as you then said you would be happy to meet the cost of the course, she probably thought that was generous of you. If you are now thinking you would not be willing to pay for her time as well, what seemed like a generous gesture might seem considerably less so, and in fact could be a considerable annoyance if she has not now budgeted for meeting the cost personally. I am guessing that the cost of the course and her pay for the day would be similar?

I was on a first aid course recently (I am a childminder) and there were several nannies there. It was over the weekend and none of them were being paid for their time but they were all grumbling about it! There was one nanny who had to fly in from Germany to do the course. I think she was working for a British family who were in Germany for a few months and the nanny had to do course in the UK for Ofsted reasons. She had to pay for the course, flights and accommodation herself! Ouch!

It all depends on how it was phrased at the interview. If the job was conditional on attending the course, as a basic requirement for the job then you offering to pay for it is generous. Equally there are definite benefits to her in attending, e.g. increased employability, ability to become ofsted registered and just general good practice. It's not quite the equivalent of on the job training/external courses as it falls more towards the basic qualifications necessary to do the job. If an employee doesn't have these then an arrangement can be made to obtain them but that is subject to agreement. So it all comes down to how it was represented at the interview IMO.

As a parent, I would expect a nanny to be up to date with her first aid training - for me it's a requirement for the job and part of my job specs (just like having a clear CRB check). If she's not up to date, it's fine for her to take the course once she starts working and I would offer to pay for it, but I wouldn't offer to pay for her time. It's a basic nanny qualification, and benefits her by making her more employable. It's something that every parent would expect and every nanny agency would expect before they take her on their books.

You said that you'd raised it at the interview and she offered to pay for the course herself...

but you haven't said if you've booked it or not yet..

If you haven't then you could approach her along the lines of "as you remember at the interview we discussed XYZ training course and you said you'd be happy to pay for it. I've made enquiries about the course and I'm happy to cover the cost of the training myself but since it will take place in your own time, I thought I'd just check that you're OK with this before I go ahead and make the booking"..

This shows that you remember that she offered to pay for the course. Shows an element of generosity, and puts the ball back in her court as to whether she's happy with the arrangements or not.

As a nanny, I wouldn't expect to be paid to attend a first aid course. None of my employers have ever offered to pay for my first aid courses either so I think yours is lucky. A proffessional nanny should have an up to date peadiatric first aid certificate and I feel it's their responsibility to pay for it.

I made having a current first aid certificate a condition of employment in the first instance and also continued employment. Therefore it was clear that it was her responsibility. However when it came to it she did a saturday course (so in her own time) and I paid for it. We both benefited so we both "paid" with her time and my mo

Nick (and other nannies) - are there other training courses that you do?

I made having a current first aid certificate a condition of employment in the first instance and also continued employment. Therefore it was clear that it was her responsibility. However when it came to it she did a saturday course (so in her own time) and I paid for it. We both benefited so we both "paid" with her time and my mo

Nick (and other nannies) - are there other training courses that you do?

Safeguarding Children is another course. It is typically run by the local authority and should be repeated every now and then... my local authority suggests that it is repeated every 3 years. It is good practice to repeat it as things local child protection procedures can change over the years.

I am considering also going to a Homebased Childcarers Activity Day which includes three workshops: Play and schemas, Consulting with children, Preparing for your Ofsted inspection.

I have also done a Fire Safety course in the past, which included practical experience of using CO2 and a Foam extinguisher.

Finding courses to do can be tricky but I try to find things that will be of possible use within work in childcare.

That's marvellous, thanks Nick!

That's marvellous, thanks Nick!