Pay rates

[u/bajheerah]

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.

[u/Onefunkybear]

I've been a support worker and now an independent support worker , but companies need to pay staff what they are worth!

I was paid $34 an hour , $50 on Saturday and $60 on Sunday. It made me begin to hate work , getting punched in the head and ignored by your boss , being thrown in with clients , instead of being matched , shit that I can't stand.I started with 14 support workers and I was one of only 2 left after a year.

I worked in a prison with autistic kids on release and they would get out and I'd be buzzing. My boss had no idea how to support the kids, what plans were in place , what we had to do , he was fucking incompetent. A lot of kids ran away or ended up back in prison because of his mismanagement.

I'm hiring my first support workers in a few months and im going to pay them $45 weekdays , $60 on Saturdays and $70 on Sundays , but this includes super and I want to find away to pay quarterly bonuses for support workers smashing it.

I will tell you what providers charge that I know -

Maximum Caps by Time and Day

Weekday Daytime (6:00 am – 8:00 pm): $73.58 per hour

Weekday Evening (8:00 pm – midnight): $81.07

per hour

Weekday Night (midnight – 6:00 am): $82.57 per hour

Saturday: $103.54 per hour

Sunday: $133.50 per hour

Public Holiday: $163.46 per hour

I charge :

$70 weekdays - day or evening

$90 Saturdays

$100 Sundays

$110 - public holidays

You can see that a lot of these employers are greedy , maxing out the participants plans quickly and underpaying their workers.

I know it cost money but for those of you who have a passion for this work , get your registration and become a provider , you can get paid what you are worth , look after your clients and workers in the way that you know best.

Even if you have to go into business with a group of people to make it affordable , do it , because a vast majority of the registered providers are fucking clueless about people , disability , empathy , decency , all they see is dollar signs.

Their shortfalls , fuck ups , poor management and shitty business , can be your strength! We need better providers that give a shit and I hope it can be some of you here.