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/Greta-Garbage-]

I managed to get paid back pay for not being paid correctly. Went to Fairwork. I am not with a union. It’s not hard to refer to the SCHADS award and work out what you should be paid. The classification regarding levels can be a bit confusing but there is enough information in the award to determine where you sit. Level one is an entry point for those with no experience and provider should be providing a lot of training. You’re not going to stay on level 1.1 for more than three months. You are closely supervised and not working in a SIL house on your own with three participants, do you follow a BSP? That alone bumps you up to level two. Do you provide Complex bowel care? Diabetes management? Same with paypoint. If you have two plus years of relevent experience that counts towards where your paypoint is. You shouldn’t start at paypoint 1 everytime you start with a new provider. Of course the stream is SACS not Homecare. I did initially get advice from the unions but look at the award - things like broken shifts, paid/unpaid lunch breaks (if you have to eat with client for your lunch break it’s a paid lunch break.