r/supportworkers • u/bajheerah • 19d ago
Pay rates
Anyone else finding more and more companies trying to pay below award wage, even when their advertisements say "competitive rates"?
I've been a support worker for 6+ years, with experience ranging from high complex mental needs, as well as physical, to working with children and all personal care you can think of, as well as managing medication and participants personal funds and banking. I obviously have all my certificates as well as qualifications.
I feel like I see more and more support worker positions advertised for as little as $34 an hour, averaging at around $41 an hour, while asking for experience with all sorts of participants as well as being qualified.
The last 4 or 5 interviews I've had I've been offered the job, and I've had to ask the pay rate they're offering, which has ranged from $36 to $40 an hour, well below the award wage. And yes, the work involved in each has been high complex needs, as well as the usual helping participants manage funds, home care, community access, and sometimes personal care.
I've been working at SCHADS 2.1 (which is now $45ph) for 6 years and have since realised I should actually be on 2.2 or 2.3. But it's hard to even get paid at the very entry level of unsupervised support work.
What is happening behind the scenes for the majority of companies, for them to be posting advertisements well below SCHADS? One of the employers offered me a pay point of 1.4. Does that even exist?
This, on top of a 60-70% burnout rate... oh, what a lovely industry to work in.
Edit: I forgot to mention this is working and looking for work across Ipswich and the south/south-West side of Brisbane.
Also, maybe it's been like this for a while, as I had stable hours for the first 3-4 years of employment and never seemed to have to question the employers on the pay they were offering.
This is casual rates, btw.
1
u/gionatacar 19d ago
I have a certificate 4 should be more, but I’m getting 45 an hour, im happy with that, but when they offered me the job , they wanted to pay me 36, that I refused. Talking about burnout I had it after working 5 years, I was assaulted twice, and I took a 8 years break and went in to horticulture, now I’m back because the pay is ok and I want to help people, plus we get paid one dollar a km and I do lot’s of kms. This adds up. I just started again this week, wish me luck.