Work.

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
Particularly in the US, data shows it’s been tough to be a service worker for a long time. In 2020, for instance, full-time American food counter workers made, on average, $23,960 (£20,796) a year – failing to clear the poverty line for a four-person household.

I don't get that for keeping someones loved one safe.
 

Bob

Well-Known Forumite
The system in this country is broken @Glam

It’s for this very reason I’m having such a hard time with all the funeral coverage on every channel - money is no object to bury an old lady who’s live a life of privilege without a second thought to the worries and struggles of everyone who’s just trying to get through the week, who are having money deducted form what they’ve earned to fund that lifestyle but don’t know how they’ll pay their next electric bill.
 

Bob

Well-Known Forumite
There's always someone ready to take your job & to step into your shoes, remember that you're not indispensable, your work does not NEED you....but your family do.

I learned this a little late.
I need to remind myself of this sometimes.

I can’t seem to find the right balance, last year I took a step back, started a part time role with little stress or responsibility with the hope of a better work life balance. I found it tedious and boring and so totally unrewarding that 6 months later I was back on the job hunt. Now my job is busy and demanding and working with international stakeholders it can be late nights and early mornings too, but in the most part I do enjoy it! I just need to be more firm about when I switch off!
 
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Bob

Well-Known Forumite
You can fill any role if you pay enough, if there is nobody willing to do a job for the wages offered then do it yourself.
Take the care industry - When policy makers look at a job description they see unskilled work that they assume anyone can do without understanding home much more is involved. So they set the bar low, allowing greedy corporations and outsourced staffing providers to cut corners while they try to squeeze out every penny of profit possible. Keeping take home wages across the industry much lower than they should be.

I looked at doing nursing after my A levels, I spent 14 months working in a nursing home, it was one of the most difficult jobs I’ve ever had to do, it takes really special people to choose that path as a career, unfortunately what’s offered by employers probably frightens many of them away. We live in a society where we value the wrong things, the wrong people and totally undervalue those that we truly owe our respect and gratitude to.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Take the care industry - When policy makers look at a job description they see unskilled work that they assume anyone can do without understanding home much more is involved. So they set the bar low, allowing greedy corporations and outsourced staffing providers to cut corners while they try to squeeze out every penny of profit possible. Keeping take home wages across the industry much lower than they should be.

I looked at doing nursing after my A levels, I spent 14 months working in a nursing home, it was one of the most difficult jobs I’ve ever had to do, it takes really special people to choose that path as a career, unfortunately what’s offered by employers probably frightens many of them away. We live in a society where we value the wrong things, the wrong people and totally undervalue those that we truly owe our respect and gratitude to.
My exes daughter is currently doing home visits, they only pay you for the time inside a persons house not the time between so she does 16 hour days for often less than half the pay. She's also only 17, I suspect it's not 100% legal*, thats through an agency of course.

* Although lets face it, if not legal now it's probably in the Conservatives plans.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
My exes daughter is currently doing home visits, they only pay you for the time inside a persons house not the time between so she does 16 hour days for often less than half the pay. She's also only 17, I suspect it's not 100% legal*, thats through an agency of course.

* Although lets face it, if not legal now it's probably in the Conservatives plans.

So...

She's quit the job, walked out. They've not only been getting her to work more than legally allowed they've been underpaying her too - about £100 missing from last week. Now they're threatening that she has to pay them for the DBS and training etc. as she quit without notice, and being a 17 year old she's just accepting it. Without seeing her contract I have no idea if she agreed to those terms, but I'm very suspicious of a company getting a 17 year old to do home care visits alone especially 63 hours of visits in a single week (not including time between them).

It aint my fight but I have a strong desire to insist she fights this.
 

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
So...

She's quit the job, walked out. They've not only been getting her to work more than legally allowed they've been underpaying her too - about £100 missing from last week. Now they're threatening that she has to pay them for the DBS and training etc. as she quit without notice, and being a 17 year old she's just accepting it. Without seeing her contract I have no idea if she agreed to those terms, but I'm very suspicious of a company getting a 17 year old to do home care visits alone especially 63 hours of visits in a single week (not including time between them).

It aint my fight but I have a strong desire to insist she fights this.
As far as I know, you shouldn't be doing care work if you're under 18, although it may be different for private companies.
My elder sister works for the Senior Home Instead, they've cut her hours back, clients going into nursing homes, dying etc. She's having to look elsewhere, although, she won't come to St.Georges, it's too far and the fuel is too expensive. She'll get a much higher rate of pay, overtime galore, and they can shimmy the hours to suit.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
As far as I know, you shouldn't be doing care work if you're under 18, although it may be different for private companies.
My elder sister works for the Senior Home Instead, they've cut her hours back, clients going into nursing homes, dying etc. She's having to look elsewhere, although, she won't come to St.Georges, it's too far and the fuel is too expensive. She'll get a much higher rate of pay, overtime galore, and they can shimmy the hours to suit.
She was refused a job in a care home when they realised she was under 18 and can't be left with the locals alone, which is why alarm bells are ringing about this company.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
They're basically assuming she'll be a scared compliant child with no idea how her first job works, which she is. I'm not though!

Just off the phone with ACAS who threw up several interesting points:

Can't work more than 8 hours per day or 40 per week
Can't deduct anything that would put her under minimum wage
Lone working - I need to talk to the H&S exec
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Do it asap.
With her walking out, there's every chance that she will be deducted what they claim she owes them, therefore probably ending up with no pay at all.
In a weird way that will be good, if you can't make deductions that put people below minimum wage it's another illegal activity to add!

Apparently she never even finished her training, it gets worse...
 
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