David Lock

My daughter worked very hard for 5 years to get a reasonable hospital job. She works in Bristol and her boss suggested she goes on a 2 day course in London to gain skills in a particular aspect of her work. But they will only pay for travel OR accommodation so she is expected to pay the hotel bill or not go on course. I find this staggeringly mean


What do you reckon? Do you work in NHS and is this common practise?


David

scoobypaul_temp

iTrader: (2)

Yes, it does seem a bit mean tbh, but she does have options:

1 they pay for travel, and she commutes in and out on the train on both days (not impossible, but a long day)
2 they pay for accommodation, and she pays out of her own pocket for coach ticket (as v cheap)

I only know as I have a mate who commutes into London from Bristol 4 days a week.

Mr Fuji

I'm not sure they can do that?

https://www.gov.uk/expenses-and-benefits-travel

https://worksmart.org.uk/work-rights...tractual-right

And various others

Dingdongler

It's common and also hypocritical. On one hand I have ever increasing demands to show that I'm keeping up to date with CPD and on the other hand study leave budgets are cut.

So I now have to dip into my own pocket to attend modest courses/conferences. Add this to the fact that we haven't had a pay rise for about seven years and you won't be surprised to learn that there is very little 'goodwill' left in the NHS.

DTB

My sister in law works for NHS and there are obligatory courses that she must attend in order to keep doing her job - every single time she has to fight with them to get them to cover the costs of travel and accommodation.

Your daughter will just have to stand her ground and refuse to go unless she has appropriate financial support. She is entitled to it.

David Lock

Well I think they can as it's not compulsory for her to attend. That's why I chose the word "mean".


When she started work she was told she would have to use her car to visit patients at their homes. They wanted to see an Insurance Certificate to cover her for work related stuff. I had been paying for her insurance but to upgrade the cover cost me quite a bit more. Did the hospital pay - f,uck no.


dl

boggissimo

Vote Tory, get public service cuts. It's not a surprise. Don't blame the NHS though!

coupe_20vt

iTrader: (2)

My wife is a Physiotherapist in the NHS and she has to pay for all her training courses, as well as the travel costs and accommodation associated with them.

She also has to pay to park her car in her hospitals car park.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Looking at this from another angle; If you were a plumber or electrician; you would have to pay for the training courses to get Gas-Safe certification or Level 3 NVQ, plus all the transport and add-on expenses (books etc.) and a loss of wages if self employed or not sponsored by an employer.

Same goes for many other vocations, unless it's employer sponsored. And if it is, rarely would it include expenses.

So free training and/or transport/accommodation sounds like a really good deal.

Obviously this is from someone who has worked in the private and self-employed sectors for their whole life...a life-long public sector worker would probably see it differently.

neil-h

Free training with the possibility of travel/accommodation/food expenses covered is one of the few perks of working in the public sector these days

urban

iTrader: (1)

In my business, employees use their cars when going to visit customers.
They get a mileage rate, which varies depending on whether they get a car allowance or not, but they've got to cover everything else.
We don't ask to see their insurance though.

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

Any friends or relatives she could crash with in London, and claim travel from their place to where ever the course is running? Free accommodation and travel covered?

Last time I stayed in London I got a decent deal on my room rate at £120, but after buying dinner for myself and three rounds of drinks for me and my colleague in the hotel, that came in at almost the same price as my room!

She really needs to check her contract and the travel policy, this doesn't sound like the public sector, although I left it behind a few years ago. Fair travel expenses are normally paid to ensure travel and accommodation are cost neutral for the individual travelling.

trevsjwood

iTrader: (2)

If the course is paid for and the time off work is compensated, anything else is a bonus.
Trev

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Another thing; Would the training affect the pay band/points, therefore allow a higher wage?

If yes, then weigh up the extra income against the costs of attending the course.

wrighty338

iTrader: (33)

worked for NHS digital on a 4on 4off basis the last 3 years, the only time i got offered training was if i could attend half a course after my 4on, so finish at 7am and go straight to training at 9am and they didnt care if i finished on a thursday so id only get thurs/fri on training i mean what good was that?

public sector, big on cuts, never again. Self employed now!

scoobypaul_temp

iTrader: (2)

Were you Leeds based? I worked for NHS Digital (as a contractor) in London, with occasional visits to Leeds.

njkmrs

Its all wrong wrong wrong.
If its going to enhance her career prospects, increase desirability to other employers then tell her to bite the bullet.
If not tell em to get ferked...!
Stick the course up their jacksy..!