Care workers - Poor Pay - Thankless Task £9 hour (you never know when you might need one) for an additional £1.80 a day! (1 Viewer)

Jul 18, 2009
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So,

After 17 years of caring, my wife has finally had enough. Fully qualified, experienced and, well "Caring".

Minimum wage, poor conditions and no benefits.

Getting up at 5:30 am, driving into the city centre of Manchester to try and get a parking Space and then often having to walk 20 mins to the clients address. She has had two of our cars damaged several times, been verbally abused and threatened for parking legally outside other residents properties.

* Up-To 2 hours a day travelling in her own car at her own cost.
* 4 hours work a day, often over run without pay
* Renumeration £9 an hour (the cleaner gets £10)
* Carrying out personal care (she cares for a paraplegic amputee)
* Carrying out duties outside of her contract

We don't need the money, she has always seen the job as a "Carer". When her client moved into the city centre, she never really wanted to carry on, but she has, for 8 years. She has seen other carers who she worked alongside come and go. Some never acutually came !. One crashed her car into the canal as she was drink driving, attacked the police when they arrived and was replaced by someone who managed just one week!.

My Wife asked me my advice as she was getting fed up of the aforementioned. I suggested that she requested some assistance with the parking issue, or hand her notice in, we don't need the money as I said. After taking into consideration we run a separate car for her to use for work and the costs associated with that.

So, £36 a day, for up to 6 hours, less travel costs. She asked for, get this.....

£1.80 a day

In order for her to be able to park, under the apartment block for her own personal safety and security.

EVEN OFFERING TO CONTRIBUTE 50% TOWARDS THE £1.80 a day

The client has refused to pay, stating it is too expensive.

The Clients family are multi-millionaires. They buy, refurbish and rent prestige properties to Premiership football players. Own several Luxury properties around the world. A small selection of The "Brothers" collection of cars cost more than several Morelo palaces. They Sport Several Rolex type designer watches, jewellery etc. Nice Drug habits to boot.


Now its not up to us to dictate, demand or even suggest what they spend their wealth on, BUT!

End result, I now have a full time Wife.

I would love to know your thoughts on this one please?.
 
Nov 3, 2013
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Hi.
The more you do,the more some people will let you Carers etc. Advice from Super dad. " Never pull overalls on,they will never let you take them off". I DID wear the 50/- suit,but that was for my benefit.. Met Careres,while looking after Jennifers Uncle and Aunty. For some of them, the money and conditions were a joke all those years ago. Enjoy your togetherness.
Tea Bag
 

Silver-Fox

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Sep 5, 2014
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So,

After 17 years of caring, my wife has finally had enough. Fully qualified, experienced and, well "Caring".

Minimum wage, poor conditions and no benefits.

Getting up at 5:30 am, driving into the city centre of Manchester to try and get a parking Space and then often having to walk 20 mins to the clients address. She has had two of our cars damaged several times, been verbally abused and threatened for parking legally outside other residents properties.

* Up-To 2 hours a day travelling in her own car at her own cost.
* 4 hours work a day, often over run without pay
* Renumeration £9 an hour (the cleaner gets £10)
* Carrying out personal care (she cares for a paraplegic amputee)
* Carrying out duties outside of her contract

We don't need the money, she has always seen the job as a "Carer". When her client moved into the city centre, she never really wanted to carry on, but she has, for 8 years. She has seen other carers who she worked alongside come and go. Some never acutually came !. One crashed her car into the canal as she was drink driving, attacked the police when they arrived and was replaced by someone who managed just one week!.

My Wife asked me my advice as she was getting fed up of the aforementioned. I suggested that she requested some assistance with the parking issue, or hand her notice in, we don't need the money as I said. After taking into consideration we run a separate car for her to use for work and the costs associated with that.

So, £36 a day, for up to 6 hours, less travel costs. She asked for, get this.....

£1.80 a day

In order for her to be able to park, under the apartment block for her own personal safety and security.

EVEN OFFERING TO CONTRIBUTE 50% TOWARDS THE £1.80 a day

The client has refused to pay, stating it is too expensive.

The Clients family are multi-millionaires. They buy, refurbish and rent prestige properties to Premiership football players. Own several Luxury properties around the world. A small selection of The "Brothers" collection of cars cost more than several Morelo palaces. They Sport Several Rolex type designer watches, jewellery etc. Nice Drug habits to boot.


Now its not up to us to dictate, demand or even suggest what they spend their wealth on, BUT!

End result, I now have a full time Wife.

I would love to know your thoughts on this one please?.

I would have suggested she knocked it on the head years ago.

My wife wanted to do care work, anyone that knows her knows her abilities.

I suggested she left that type of “work” well alone.

Thankless task

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Jamesh

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Jun 28, 2020
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Yeap knock it on the head.

I wouldn't want to work for anyone who didn't appreciate the work I did, and not willing to pay a reasonable rate.

Enjoy the time together!

Cheers James
 
Jul 28, 2018
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My daughter took a job as a min wage carer in a care-home “to see how far she could get” in the industry. She described a job which seemed to include almost nurse-type observation skills and very hard work with a short time to perform all the duties. 12 hour shifts and an expectation she will stay on if the next person is late on shift. No time to chat. She described it as heartbreaking - most people just want somebody to talk to for a while… anyway, she has Now swapped to a regular hours weekdays-only cleaning job at the same place for the same money - nonsense!

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Aug 18, 2014
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So,

After 17 years of caring, my wife has finally had enough. Fully qualified, experienced and, well "Caring".

Minimum wage, poor conditions and no benefits.

Getting up at 5:30 am, driving into the city centre of Manchester to try and get a parking Space and then often having to walk 20 mins to the clients address. She has had two of our cars damaged several times, been verbally abused and threatened for parking legally outside other residents properties.

* Up-To 2 hours a day travelling in her own car at her own cost.
* 4 hours work a day, often over run without pay
* Renumeration £9 an hour (the cleaner gets £10)
* Carrying out personal care (she cares for a paraplegic amputee)
* Carrying out duties outside of her contract

We don't need the money, she has always seen the job as a "Carer". When her client moved into the city centre, she never really wanted to carry on, but she has, for 8 years. She has seen other carers who she worked alongside come and go. Some never acutually came !. One crashed her car into the canal as she was drink driving, attacked the police when they arrived and was replaced by someone who managed just one week!.

My Wife asked me my advice as she was getting fed up of the aforementioned. I suggested that she requested some assistance with the parking issue, or hand her notice in, we don't need the money as I said. After taking into consideration we run a separate car for her to use for work and the costs associated with that.

So, £36 a day, for up to 6 hours, less travel costs. She asked for, get this.....

£1.80 a day

In order for her to be able to park, under the apartment block for her own personal safety and security.

EVEN OFFERING TO CONTRIBUTE 50% TOWARDS THE £1.80 a day

The client has refused to pay, stating it is too expensive.

The Clients family are multi-millionaires. They buy, refurbish and rent prestige properties to Premiership football players. Own several Luxury properties around the world. A small selection of The "Brothers" collection of cars cost more than several Morelo palaces. They Sport Several Rolex type designer watches, jewellery etc. Nice Drug habits to boot.


Now its not up to us to dictate, demand or even suggest what they spend their wealth on, BUT!

End result, I now have a full time Wife.

I would love to know your thoughts on this one please?.
My wife did live -in caring. She had some great clients but many times the families ,regardless of wealth ,object to paying. Others would have no problem. The company she worked throgh would only ever be interested in not psetting the client & rarely backed up there employee's even when in the right. Other clients could barely keep a carer for a week ,some would only last a day, as the clients were either extremely rude, offensive, obnoxious, & in some cases physically violent . & these were the 'spposedly' normal ones?

Your wife is best off well out of it & fortunately my wife will not be returning either , although she wanted to.especially as she gets her pension at the year end.
 

Northernraider

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Its sad that some of the hardest jobs are the poorest paid and they wonder why they cant fill the vacancies. All carers , nurses , cleaners etc are underpaid in my opinion. And all politicians , lawyers, footballers etc are often all overpayed.

Its like the world would die without bees

Business would stop without cleaners etc

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Feb 27, 2011
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I suspect things will start changing in the near future. With the supply of cheap eastern european staff gone, companies will have to start increasing the wages of many low paid people who do valuable jobs like this.
It is already happening to truck drivers and some other industries.

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Aug 20, 2020
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I'm amazed anyone wants to drive a truck, it's a very stressful job but most not doing it don't see it as stressful, I used to drive 80-90k a year for work in a 3.5t pickup towing a 3.5t trailer , O licence, tachograph , vehicle inspections VOSA (as was) pulling me up checking me over, it was like the trailer had a magnet on that sucked them out of the layby as I went past.

It was my business so the pay meant I put up with it but when you see some of the hourly rates being paid for driving 44t and sleeping in the cab it's amazing anyone does it.

There are people that have no respect for people doing low paid work, an example

A flight from manchester airport , it was about 4am, in the toilet , I was just washing my hands, the female cleaner was mopping the floor when this bloke came in , walked straight past her and the closed sign on the cubicle

she said it's closed, can't you read

his reply, yes love , that's why I'm not mopping ****houses out at 4am

I'm surprised she didn't empty the bucket over the cubicle door but she needs the job so has to put up with it
 

Silver-Fox

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Sep 5, 2014
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I'm amazed anyone wants to drive a truck, it's a very stressful job but most not doing it don't see it as stressful, I used to drive 80-90k a year for work in a 3.5t pickup towing a 3.5t trailer , O licence, tachograph , vehicle inspections VOSA (as was) pulling me up checking me over, it was like the trailer had a magnet on that sucked them out of the layby as I went past.

It was my business so the pay meant I put up with it but when you see some of the hourly rates being paid for driving 44t and sleeping in the cab it's amazing anyone does it.

There are people that have no respect for people doing low paid work, an example

A flight from manchester airport , it was about 4am, in the toilet , I was just washing my hands, the female cleaner was mopping the floor when this bloke came in , walked straight past her and the closed sign on the cubicle

she said it's closed, can't you read

his reply, yes love , that's why I'm not mopping ****houses out at 4am

I'm surprised she didn't empty the bucket over the cubicle door but she needs the job so has to put up with it

Totally agree, especially no respect for lower paid jobs.

Never understood why people look down their noses at bin men.
Just think the pile of s**t you’d have after a month or so 🤷‍♂️
 
Mar 23, 2012
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I suspect things will start changing in the near future. With the supply of cheap eastern european staff gone, companies will have to start increasing the wages of many low paid people who do valuable jobs like this.
It is already happening to truck drivers and some other industries.
There are pros and cons though increased wages will mean increased costs in general for goods and services. I think the B of E forecast of inflation of 4% being short term is optimistic as it is bound to lead to higher wage demands. If there's 4% inflation the wage demands for anyone wanting a real term increase are going to be at least 10%. The big thing with care is how will it be funded. I think the government were going to bring in a scheme where you could pre pay for the possibility of needing care in the future then not have means testing to get state provided care. It sounds like a good idea to me but seems to have gone very quiet.

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Feb 27, 2011
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There are pros and cons though increased wages will mean increased costs in general for goods and services. I think the B of E forecast of inflation of 4% being short term is optimistic as it is bound to lead to higher wage demands. If there's 4% inflation the wage demands for anyone wanting a real term increase are going to be at least 10%. The big thing with care is how will it be funded. I think the government were going to bring in a scheme where you could pre pay for the possibility of needing care in the future then not have means testing to get state provided care. It sounds like a good idea to me but seems to have gone very quiet.
The wage rises are mainly amongst the poorest paid for the jobs that used to use cheap labour. I doubt it will push prices up too much in the grand scheme of things. The shortages are however.

The advantage to the lowest getting pay rises is it reduces costs for in work benefits and eats away at government loans. So not all bad.
 
Aug 18, 2014
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I suspect things will start changing in the near future. With the supply of cheap eastern european staff gone, companies will have to start increasing the wages of many low paid people who do valuable jobs like this.
It is already happening to truck drivers and some other industries.
I doubt it. Wife's firm employs around 500. All technically sero hours. The company don't even tell those they employ that they are entitled to sick pay.If you do not know & apply they don't offer.
50%, 250 are South africans who fly in for 6 months straight off. 25% are Brits resident abroad. 15% are Aussies & Kiwis , with 5% being east european. 5% actually live in theuk.
I'm surprised she didn't empty the bucket over the cubicle door but she needs the job so has to put up with it
You could have done it for her ? (y)We used to do it years ago & if you really didn't like them throw the heavy galvanised bucket over after the slops:laughing:
 

SuperMike

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Managemts two lady carers, one on one off, are paid by us £18/hr. one has been with us 14yrs the other 10yrs. When one is on holiday the other tries and copes with most of it, but inevitably an agency is employed to take up the slack. They charge £39.50/hr, but I have no idea what the actual, usually useless, carer gets paid.

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Mar 23, 2012
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The wage rises are mainly amongst the poorest paid for the jobs that used to use cheap labour. I doubt it will push prices up too much in the grand scheme of things. The shortages are however.

The advantage to the lowest getting pay rises is it reduces costs for in work benefits and eats away at government loans. So not all bad.
What level of income do you count as cheap labour?. If you look at the distribution of incomes across the population there will be increases for a huge number of people who at present earn a low income so very unlikely for increases not to lead to inflation.
 

Northernraider

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Going by the replies it’s easy to spot bosses and those low paid
It always is

Its all about maximum profit at the end of the day. Companies that truly look after and respect their employees are few and far between.

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Mar 23, 2012
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Going by the replies it’s easy to spot bosses and those low paid
Maybe although I'm no ones boss anymore but having been one certainly affected my view. But if you raise wages for the lowest paid what happens to people who are on the higher wage now because they trained for more qualifications? Do they accept the people who couldn't be bothered now get the same as them?.
Supply and demand will lead to higher wages in some areas. Whether that results in increased standards of living depends on how that affects inflation. But I think the economic bottom line is if one group are better off another will be worse off be they high earners pensioners or whatever.
 

Silver-Fox

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There are pros and cons though increased wages will mean increased costs in general for goods and services. I think the B of E forecast of inflation of 4% being short term is optimistic as it is bound to lead to higher wage demands. If there's 4% inflation the wage demands for anyone wanting a real term increase are going to be at least 10%. The big thing with care is how will it be funded. I think the government were going to bring in a scheme where you could pre pay for the possibility of needing care in the future then not have means testing to get state provided care. It sounds like a good idea to me but seems to have gone very quiet.

What could possibly go wrong 🤔

I wouldn’t trust any Government with a pot of money.

Look what happened to our gold reserves 🤷‍♂️
 
Aug 20, 2020
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I doubt it. Wife's firm employs around 500. All technically sero hours. The company don't even tell those they employ that they are entitled to sick pay.If you do not know & apply they don't offer.
50%, 250 are South africans who fly in for 6 months straight off. 25% are Brits resident abroad. 15% are Aussies & Kiwis , with 5% being east european. 5% actually live in theuk.

You could have done it for her ? (y)We used to do it years ago & if you really didn't like them throw the heavy galvanised bucket over after the slops:laughing:
I was leaving on a very expensive holiday , didn't want to watch the flight leave as I was chatting to security, had he been anything more than a gobshite shouting over a toilet door I would have done something.

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Feb 27, 2011
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I doubt it. Wife's firm employs around 500. All technically sero hours. The company don't even tell those they employ that they are entitled to sick pay.If you do not know & apply they don't offer.
50%, 250 are South africans who fly in for 6 months straight off. 25% are Brits resident abroad. 15% are Aussies & Kiwis , with 5% being east european. 5% actually live in theuk.
I am talking about the UK.
 
Feb 27, 2011
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What level of income do you count as cheap labour?. If you look at the distribution of incomes across the population there will be increases for a huge number of people who at present earn a low income so very unlikely for increases not to lead to inflation.
I class cheap labour as minimum wage, or there about.

The latest stats I could find was that 7% of the UK population is on minimum wage.
Wages are a bell curve. So the percentage of income falling into that 7% over the entire wage income is going to be a lot lower than the 7% indicated.

Here is an example for you. Truck drivers working for John Lewis have just been given a pay rise of £5,000 per year. Some have stated that this is a lot.
But when you divide it by the number of loads carried then further divide that by the value of the goods involved it is a miniscule amount. It is unlikely to cause JL to raise prices. So the effect on inflation is going to be pretty much zero.

At the other end of the scale, Pubs are having to raise wages to get staff to join or even stay. £1 an hour extra or £40 per week is unlikely to cause much additional pressure on landlords costs when you consider it in the round. Perhaps a penny extra on a pint of beer.

I don't know for sure... on this just my suppositions.

A bigger cause of inflation is all the money people have been forced to save and for other given free money by the government.

This will all be out chasing things to spend it on whilst there are supply constraints. This will cause prices to rise. A temporary blip though I think.
 

Northernraider

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Maybe although I'm no ones boss anymore but having been one certainly affected my view. But if you raise wages for the lowest paid what happens to people who are on the higher wage now because they trained for more qualifications? Do they accept the people who couldn't be bothered now get the same as them?.
Supply and demand will lead to higher wages in some areas. Whether that results in increased standards of living depends on how that affects inflation. But I think the economic bottom line is if one group are better off another will be worse off be they high earners pensioners or whatever.
A novel idea would be for bosses to make a little less profit and pay folk a decent wages.

I accept it isnt a popular view but at sometime between people trading a few potatoes for someone helping build a fence the world got greedy.

If you have a huge house you rattle around in , 2 mercs in the drive and can pay £500 for a pair of golf shoes when you have an employee that has to decide between feeding their kids or heating their home ....theres something wrong with the world.

Unfortunately people these days admire the person with the money and look down on the person without ...

Sad

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Mar 23, 2012
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A novel idea would be for bosses to make a little less profit and pay folk a decent wages.

I accept it isnt a popular view but at sometime between people trading a few potatoes for someone helping build a fence the world got greedy.

If you have a huge house you rattle around in , 2 mercs in the drive and can pay £500 for a pair of golf shoes when you have an employee that has to decide between feeding their kids or heating their home ....theres something wrong with the world.

Unfortunately people these days admire the person with the money and look down on the person without ...

Sad
I offered our staff a choice once. Use their house like we did against the business loan and have a straight profit share dependant on the proportion of their wages on the open market with no guarantee the same as us good years a lot better poor years still fairly good.No-one was interested.
All the talk is always about rich bosses so why not chance it and start a business?
 
May 29, 2013
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Isn't it strange how quickly the people who were most important one year ago are now the ones still at the bottom of the money pile.

Anybody remember clapping for footballers, Politicians, musicians, DJs etc etc. No?

It was clap for carers !!!!


From memory there was a poster produced and shared on social media to the above effect.

I suggested the poster should be nailed to the entrance doors of the Palace of Westminster just so the Elites didn't forget who the really essential people are. But.............................that of course would never happen.

I cannot, truly cannot, understand how some people can speak down to those doing jobs which the majority of us are glad we don't have to do.

So I'd be the first to say to the OP, yes if your wife is not appreciated and rewarded sufficiently by the very people she is providing more than just a service to then she should leave as soon as possible !

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