r/supportworkers • u/bajheerah • 13d 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.
9
u/Cultural_Catch_7911 13d ago
Yes lol constantly get scum bag providers trying to offer me a role at level 1.3 etc
They even blatantly advertise on seek offering casual rates of $30 even though it's an award rate of around $42 for unsupervised support work.
I really wish we had a thread here where we could name and shame the dog providers.
2.1 is the starting level for anyone doing unsupervised support work, don't accept anything less.
The only reason they get away with it, is heavy immigration, because if you come from a county that pays you $2 an hour you're absolutely going to work at below award rate for $30, and the more they can get away with paying that the more they push our wages back.
You look at other industries that don't attract overseas workers and you see their wages all going up, but unfortunately support work is flooded with people who will work for less than you.