Hi all, I’m curious to find out how many companies pay employees a weekly / monthly “extra bit” for being first aiders? It seems – some do, some don’t and others have various different perks such as end of year raffle for first aiders, shopping vouchers etc. personally, having first aid skills are a life skill and I think everybody should know the basics……

No pay, no perks. We have more volunteers than we need. Those that volunteer generally say they see it as useful life-skill and the fact of the company providing the training in work time is apparently enough of a perk. That's why I do it, too.

No pay ever for first aiding. Philips used to give a extra day holiday. RSA pay about £17 a month

This has been asked a number of times before and if I recall one of the more recent ones, there were 'cries of indignation' about those employers that don't pay, because of the extra responsibility etc. Some employers also pay fire marshal's. 'We' used to pay, firstly on a monthly basis and then later yearly in the form of vouchers close to Christmas. However, 'we' stopped doing this some years ago. A couple of first aiders got the 'hump' and stopped doing it but since then I haven't had ANY problem getting the volunteers that I need. I have never even considered that I would be paid extra for doing either first aid or fire marshal duties, and I personally find it slightly curious that this should be any sort of motivation for people doing so. With first aid in particular; what a great opportunity to learn a 'portable' skill for the overall benefit of many, not just your employer and their employees.

No pay, most people are qualified to at least basic level, some up to quite advanced. However, it goes with the turf here.

No Pay or perks (except for free first aid training) with my employer. Our sites had never reported problems in finding volunteers either.

I think (but can't be sure) that my employer, a sizeable local authority, pays a nominal £2/week per first aider. However, it's possible that this payment might be at risk of being axed (if this hasn't already occurred) as part of many measures to cut costs in the public sector. Also, I'm unsure if the scheme applies within my employer's schools where designated first aiders are rarely short of 'customers' through dealing daily with injuries, thankfully the vast majority of them being minor bumps and grazes, incurred during breaktime accidents in playgrounds. My impression is that schools have little problem in maintaining adequate complements of first aiders. Increasing numbers of my employer's schools provide emergency first aid training for all of their staff on an annual basis. Moreover, there seems to be an increasing trend for primary schools to arrange (optional) first aid training from external trainers geared for their older pupils. As first aid is a life skill which can be invaluable at any time for anyone, including older children, I think this trend is highly commendable. p.s. With tongue firmly in cheek, does anyone know of any organisations which make payments to first aider chaperones of the sort suggested in the forum topic 'Gender mix of first aiders'?!!!!

£20 a month

We pay zero, and are unable to keep up with the volunteers list that keeps growing. It was suggested within the company that all supervisors had first aid; the supervisors rejected this so we requested volunteers. Have never had so many. We are never short of cover and still we get requests for training.