To think I have been treated unprofessionally?

[jillowarriorqueen]

Recently I joined a new recruitment agency as a supply teacher. I am well qualified and well experienced (two good to excellent honours degrees, a PGCE, QTS and 16 years experience), but I've had a bit of a career break to raise kids and do the second degree. During that time, I have been undertaking casual supply teaching with another agency, where I was on £130 per day.

Recently, I signed on with a new agency to maximise my chance of working. When I signed on, I asked about a Cover Supervisor's post they were recruiting for, where the pay ranged from £65-£140 per day. My consultant quickly dismissed my enquiry, saying he'd never consider me for this sort of work, as I was too well qualified and he would find me something "much better".

I had been impressed so far by his manner and professionalism, so I thanked him, feeling that he valued my qualifications and experience enough to find decent bookings for me.

I was delighted when he offered me a day's booking at a local grammar school last week. I knew it had a great reputation and felt that I was in with a chance to impress them, so that I could eventually find more permanent work at the school.

I arrived there for period 2 as requested (9.55am) and was there until 3.45pm. I taught 4/6 lessons that day. Two were in my subject, English and two were Latin, which I don't speak, but nevertheless I found translations online of what the students were studying and went through these with them.

This week the school have had me back on two occasions and each time, I have done my utmost to fulfil all that is expected of a supply teacher. I have loved the experience and the students have warmed to me too. They have been productive and purposeful and the school seem to like me.

But then, today, I got my pay slip for the day I worked last week. I didn't think I'd get £150, which is the advertised pay for a supply teacher at my agency. But I thought I'd get, I don't know - £100 - as I covered 2/3 of the day.

I got £37.

The agency paid me at just over £9 per hour for 4 hours, despite the fact that I was there for 6 hours. They charged me £1 to actually pay me too.

I feel shocked and humiliated and very much played. My consultant admitted that he'd charged the school £65 for me - the lowest rate for a cover supervisor. My friend's brother got that without a degree or experience or and teaching qualification. I asked him why on earth he hadn't told me that I was working as a cover supervisor, especially as he had been dead set against the idea before and we'd both agreed that he'd put me forward for roles that I was qualified for instead.

He didn't have an answer really. He sounded embarrassed.
Had he TOLD me in the first place what the pay conditions were, I would have been able to make an informed decision whether to accept the booking or not. But he didn't. He let me believe I'd be paid at Supply Teacher rates.
I was at the school for 6 hours on each of the three days. When I divide my pay by 6, I'm on £6.33 per hour.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Disgusting. Tell them you will let all your teacher friends know to not use them

Or is that bitter?

You wont get day to day supply as a teacher in a secondary school. No point dragging the school into it if you may want to work there again. Just make sure in future that you ask how much you are getting paid before agreeing to the job. Lesson learned fir the future I think.

I have done teaching supply through an agency. I would say do not accept this. Absolutely no way I would work for less than my due. Say you did not agree to working under those terms and that you want your agreed pay. His fault for not ok-ing it with you. He’s just pushing his luck. These agency people are absolutely ruthless.
Do all the things people have suggested above. Go above his head, threaten legal action, ask to speak to his superior, talk to your union. You do not have to put up with this.

@RedHelenB why won’t she? I do. Varies from area to area I imagine.
Although I agree, it’s nothing to do with the school really, they will not be interested.

LadyGawain did supply teaching for many years. She never went through an agency as she got most of her work on the strength of her ability and reputation. She got the full supply rate and was never short of work.

The agency has a legal obligation to confirm the booking detail, job type, hours, length of booking and rate with you in writing/email prior to you starting work. If they do not do this then you can complain. There is also the issue about paying you less than minimum wage.

Complain to the agency management, or you can complain to REC, www.rec.uk.com if they are a member.

Supply teaching agencies are the absolute worst! Real sharks! If you remember that they are always the enemy you may be able to cope with them! Always get an email with the daily rate on. Good luck next time!

Some recruiters will bite your right hand just to get their commission! Defo complain to the school and write him a stern email copying in the manager.

Don't let it drop - he has seriously misled you. In your position, I would ask him (or whoever is in a position to resolve this) for a pro rata portion of the £140 per day rate since he's acknowledged how well qualified you are and indicated that he wouldn't put you forward for the lesser paid work. There is also no good reason why you should not be paid for the hours you actually worked.

There is no such thing as day to day supply teaching anymore really. It is CS work and poorly paid. If you want decent money, you will need to take a contract. I am shortage area and rarely get single teaching days.

Your mistake, OP, was to believe the agency. They are shysters, the lot of ‘em. You will learn to play them at their own game (my minimum day rate is considerably above CS rates but it’s taken a couple of years to get there). All my agencies know I am reliable, that they will get good reports about me and that I can do the job in difficult schools and tough classes. But they will still mess me about if I let them. There are many qualified and experienced teachers looking for supply work. Work your dues and it will get easier.,

I have worked as a supply teacher for years.
Firstly you have got to get clued up...and I have no idea which agency you have signed up with but none I have ever worked with have been like this.
You register and you need to find out what daily rate they will be paying you.
If they offer you work you need to find out what the work actually is!
If you are a teacher only accept teaching work. Make sure you find out the daily rate before you accept, even if it is a last minute call.
Every agency I have worked for immediately sends out an email confirming the booking, it states the school, hours to be worked and your daily rate.
I am very surprised that you say the agency actually disclosed what payment they recieve from the school, it is never ever disclosed.
Find a reputable agency and make sure you are paye and not paid via an umberella company, it is your right to insist on this.
Lesson learnt I think.

I worked for in the office for a supply teaching agency and our staff had to fill out a timesheet which was then confirmed by the school? Every agency I have ever came across have a timesheet system, was this not offered to you?

My DD is a recent graduate but working as an unqualified 1 to 1 TA in the north of England. She gets £65 a day through an agency (6.5 hour day). Cover supervisors get considerably more than she does.

Thanks all. I've read your responses but will re-read a little more closely regarding action to take. So far, I've emailed the head of the agency and tendered my resignation, but also informed her of my intent to inform their regulatory body. Needless to say, she is investigating the behaviour of her staff member now and has promised to be in touch with me at the end of play today. I'll update.

Hopefully she offers you more money!

Please mention this to your Union too. My union had a motion at conference last year about the treatment of supply teachers. It would be interesting to find out if they were aware of this agency doing similar things to others.

Any update, op?

I always advise people to go straight to agencies when they lose jobs, but only very short term. They're generally absolute crooks

What a dishonest crook. I hope he gets a warning.
Best of luck with it, OP.

He will deny everything and because you don't have any written agreement of said £150 daily rate, I can't see how you have any grounds.
Agencies are ruthless. Toe-rags most of them!

So the upshot is as follows:

Head of agency contacted me to said she wants to make it right. Unspecified as to what that was.
Consultant contacted me to profusely apologise, say he/they didn't want to lose someone of my calibre and that he also wanted to make it right.
Is going to find me work and over pay me for the next few weeks until I have been adequately reimbursed for my stint at the school last week.
I'm going to go with this for now, but on the understanding that complete transparency is the way forward. It's the only way I'm going to recoup the lost revenue, it seems.

I would avoid agencies as once they send you to a school, schools are unable to employing you directly, this this will really limit you if they are sending you to desirable schools local to you.

I would reach out to former colleagues and schools and see if you can get supply work directly with a school. I found a couple of independent schools willing to employ me for supply and they paid considerably more then agencies were offering (150-170 per day compared with agencies offering 90-100 per day back then, this was post gfc and agencies were really suppressing daily rates)

I'm glad they've reacted and apologised, but think it's pretty poor they can't offer a way of paying you an additional sum for the work you did, rather than making it contingent on you doing further work for them.