To be suprised we can't fill these vacancies at work?

[CatthiefKeith]

I have been trying to recruit weekend receptionists for over a year. Ideally I am looking for two people, who can work every other weekend. We have tried having someone that works every Sunday, and someone that does Saturday's, but it never works out.

The money isn't brilliant, admittedly, but it is above minimum wage, the work is easy and sometimes you get to mess about on boats on the river.

For the last 6 months, I have been working Saturdays, and we have had another woman just doing Sundays. She has recently found a full time job, and has realised that she loses most of her part time wages to tax, so has handed in her notice.

Surely there must be people out there willing to work weekends? What am I missing? Why can't I find any staff?

How many people do this job during the week? Perhaps you need to split all the hours between 3 people and include the weekend hours that way - like I said more opportunities to swap shifts etc.

It's really amazingly difficult to find good staff who are on the lower pay/skills scale. I think a lot of it is the assumption that it is easy work, but if it was that easy it would be overflowing with happy, confident and capable staff which is very rarely is when it's the sub >£9p/h. What would the actual weekly hours be?

Sixth formers/school leavers sounds like your best bet. Does it have to be a two person job? Could you not hire a SF/SL to do the full weekend every week? I know lots of people around that age desperate for that kind of job.

You can't advertise it as being suitable for a specific group, but you can target your pitch to them iyswim. Like you can't say you only want to rent your flat to student doctors, but you can refuse to advertise it anywhere other than the notice board at the local hospital.

My dad used to work in the hospitality industry and they had real trouble getting weekend night porters. Whenever they employed anyone young, they'd only stay for a relatively short period before jacking it in when they wanted to go out. He ended up doing the job for ages, with the Friday and Saturday night shifts, because he wasn't one for socialising at weekend anyway. Worked for him because they were the most lucrative ones, tips etc. Also it was 16 hours meaning it qualified for tax credits back then. I think it might be harder now because people need to do 24.

The every other weekend thing won't work for people claiming tax credits- they need the hours every week.

Look for school kids or students.

Currently the accounts lady (Just been promoted, was previously head receptionist) covers 2 days per week on reception, I do Wed - Sat and someone else (the lady that has just handed her notice in) does Sundays

Accounts lady and I have children, the plan is that I give up Saturdays and do one of her reception days to give her more time on accounts.

We have both done the weekend reception job, and then moved into full time as vacancies have arisen.

Staff turnover is generally very low, except for the bloody weekend position.

I had a vacancy for a job which offered flexible part time hours, was happy to negotiate the hours that would suit the right candidate. It took four months to find someone! The salary was well above NMW and the entry requirements weren't that hard.

I was genuinely stunned that we didn't have more applicants. I thought jobs with child friendly hours were hard to come by

It is 9am - 5.30pm, both days.

It could be just one person, but then we are in the same position as before wrt holidays etc.

So I'm really confused. Do you have a reception cover 7 days per week or not

How many hours per week do you need reception cover for?

I'd be looking to split the whole role into 16+ hour chunks

In the charity I chair we have an admin post for two days a week. We're really struggling to recruit.

Don't forget, university students come home for the summer and this is actually the best time for them to work. My daughter would love to do this kind of work at the weekend now she's home from uni, but unfortunately we're not in Kent!

I will also add that I work in a "second" job during the week and pay tax on it plus travel expenses - I certainly wouldn't consider giving up my weekend for money isn't brilliant but it is above the minimum wage, because that sounds like around £7 per hour, less £1.40 tax at 20% or £2.80 tax at 40%, less travel expenses = around £4 - £5 per hour net.

How is the work covered on week days? How many staff are there in total? It sounds like you'd be much better off restructuring the whole shift system to rota weekend cover out of the main staff rather than trying to recruit 2 people who only work weekends.

Students would be great but more a mature 6th former than a uni student. It's not taking up their evenings so perfect. My DS (17) works weekends but has his evenings free. Or a retired person. I'd jump at it as I don't need the TC hours but you're too far away

HarrietsFerretts is that what you call your OH - himself?! Love it!

I would split the reception job into a 3 day role and a 4 day role tbh. 3 days is min needed for tax credits I think (24 hrs). Share weekends between both staff.

Babymurlocs idea would be better I think, plus the accounts woman could then cover holidays on the reception.

It would be so much simpler to do that Fish, however the office manager refuses point blank to work anything but Mon - Friday, the head receptionist that has been promoted to accounts only works two full days and two part days (She has Fridays off) and I do the rest. (she can't do weekends either)

I have an almost 4 year old that starts school in September and I am not prepared to increase my hours until then.

(I had always planned to wait til she went to school before I increased my hours but then the old accounts lady left and I had to increase my hours or risk there not being a role for me in September)

I used to work every Saturday but it was 10 - 4 and was great. DH had the kids and I earnt a bit of money. Wouldn't have done Sundays as well though as it really does screw up family time and social life.

Realistically I doubt you will find someone who will do it for long for all the reasons you already know. Most of the advice you have had is to split the Saturday/ Sunday work and incorporate it as part of the full time rota. Maybe there is away you could do it - might have to annoy existing staff though.

Seems fairly obvious why you can't fill it. Its too few hours to have as your only job, its not worth it as an add on job due to tax, and so you don't make enough money to give up your weekends.

2 weekends/4 days a month at barely above min wage? It's not worth the trouble.

"It's really amazingly difficult to find good staff who are on the lower pay/skills scale."

Much more difficult now unemployment is lower and incomes have been falling relative to costs for a long time. We are having the same issue and wage inflation seems inevitable.

Winters post is a good summary of why the position may not appeal to most. Might it be something appealing for a retiree? If you mention messing about on boats, advert in a local boating club?

I think you need to stop focusing on employing a single parent.

It's hard work being a single parent, and you need that time your children are with the ex to recharge, not working a crappy little job. And I'm sorry for that, but the hours offered for the money offered does put it in the category of "crappy".

'I guess it might also suit a LP whose ex has the children EOW?'

Last thing they want to do when the ex has kids is work, especially if it's not enough hours for tax credits.

Uni students often go home in summer/holidays.

Where are you ilovesooty? I know someone who's looking for part time admin.

Sounds perfect for 6th formers.

I'd rather do every sat or sun rather than every other full weekend tho.

I don't think it sounds 'crappy'. It's exactly the kind of job I'd have bitten your hand off for while I was in 6th form.