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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Exam board confirmed no pay

189 replies

RainbowBabyDreams · 22/05/2020 15:07

I posted about this before... and have just had confirmation from AQA that as an examiner, despite having signed a contract to work this summer, as i have for maybe six or seven years, we are not going to be furloughed. It's not self employment so no help there either.

So that's it. Nothing. Aibu to think this is not fair when so many millions of others are being paid at 80%?

OP posts:
Lenny1980 · 22/05/2020 16:28

Should say even teachers are bashing fellow teachers!

Original poster
RainbowBabyDreams · 22/05/2020 16:35

Yep I'd love to move to OCR but I think they have no vacancies in my subjects. I'm keeping an eye out though.

OP posts:
Thunderpunt · 22/05/2020 16:35

IIRC you can only be furloughed if you were being paid up to the end of February 2020, presumably if you only work 2 months of the year and that doesn't include February then no x you cannot be furloughed. And whilst I understand your frustration, a job you do only do for 2 months of the year doesn't sustain you financially for the other 10 months I suspect. Whereas people in lower paid jobs (remember it's only up to £2500pm) really do rely on that 80% furlough money to sustain themselves and their families. So in my opinion YABU.

celan · 22/05/2020 16:35

Same here, @arethereanyleftatall How I am supposed to continue with the outgoings with no incomings is anyone's guess. You have my sympathy.

OmgThereAreNoPlanesAboveMeNow · 22/05/2020 16:36

@Sweetiepye actually that's a good point

justamumof1 · 22/05/2020 16:38

Well your only other choice is to claim UC. Why cant you do that or look for a job that's desperate for candidates?

muckandnettles · 22/05/2020 16:40

@RainbowBabyDreams I completely understand what you are saying as my exam work as a senior makes up about a third of my income. That's a lot. I'm not the only one as well as I know a lot of people who do exam work as part of their 'proper' income, not as an extra. Many examiners are SAHP, disabled, retired or at home for many other reasons - they aren't all full time teachers by any means!

JinglingHellsBells · 22/05/2020 16:40

It's contracting work though and paid by the number of scripts.

You are being very unreasonable.

It's not a full time job, it's a temporary job and seasonal.

JinglingHellsBells · 22/05/2020 16:43

Also, @RainbowBabyDreams what about people who work as invigilators? They are getting no pay although some schools are digging into their budgets to give them something.

Friend of mine works as one (qualified teacher) and she has lost a lot of money this year.

It's not just you.

Original poster
RainbowBabyDreams · 22/05/2020 16:43

Thank you muckandnettles.

OP posts:
Nonnymum · 22/05/2020 16:43

That's interesting because I am an exam invigilator for a university and a school and both have decided to pay exam invigilators for the hours we would have worked. They see it as goodwill.

justasking111 · 22/05/2020 16:44

A friend a teacher is on full pay but has taken on the exam boards work, she is very busy still going through school work. So the money is being diverted I suppose.

quiteathome · 22/05/2020 16:44

Self employed would not have got you vry much to be fair. It would be divided up over the 12 months.

I have mixed feelings about this. Whilst it is not fair to not be paid if you have a job as a teacher you should probably not expect furlough for work you are not doing. As you stil have a salary coming in. If it is your main source of income and you need it to pay the mortgage like most people on furlough then that is upsetting.

Original poster
RainbowBabyDreams · 22/05/2020 16:46

Jingling, at what point did I say it was just me? There are many, many thousands of people in my position, and there is no government help. I didn't say it was just me.

OP posts:
Original poster
RainbowBabyDreams · 22/05/2020 16:48

Quite, I don't have a teaching job.

I lost my job, then my baby was still born, then had a miscarriage, then fell pregnant, all whilst waiting for grief counselling, and trying to secure some supply work, then lockdown started.

OP posts:
Newgirls · 22/05/2020 16:51

Can you apply for the self employed payment? It’s based on av earnings for past 3 years. Mine came through v quickly.

SansaSnark · 22/05/2020 16:53

OP, I'm sorry that people can't read the thread and I'm sorry that you are getting a kicking.

There are so many people on here who seem to think it's a race to the bottom, and if anyone has it bad then everyone should too.

£2000 is a lot of money to a lot of people and I know plenty of teachers who do rely on their summer earning to meet certain expenses, and retired people who use exam marking to top up their income.

I think the holes in the furlough scheme are unfair, and I hope you can pick up some autumn work, especially with another exam board!

It's likely there will be more autumn work than usual as retakes in all subjects are planned.

CoffeeandChocolateplease · 22/05/2020 16:55

When other exam boards can pay their examiners something then I don't think the OP is being unreasonable to feel hard done by. I do think AQA are not doing themselves any favours, they could well lose a lot of experienced examiners. Marking can be a lot harder than many people think, and having people who really know what they're doing is worth a lot.

OmgThereAreNoPlanesAboveMeNow · 22/05/2020 16:58

The problem is that they simply cannot accept everyone on furlough. If there was no cut off date, everyone would quickly add family members and friend on payroll. So there must be rules and cut off. I am sorry you are not getting the money you counted on, but unfortunately they simply can't let absolutely everyone on it

GrammarTeacher · 22/05/2020 17:00

I was surprised to hear the others are giving a payment to be honest. I wasn't expecting anything. I suspect they may change their minds though and do something similar to the 20% payment. I don't think we can expect much more than a goodwill gesture.

JinglingHellsBells · 22/05/2020 17:01

You didn't say it was just you @RainbowBabyDreams.

But you do seem very aggrieved. Some people in full time jobs have lost them (one of my family) and they have rent/ mortgages to pay.

There are other people who slip through the net for many reasons. Some self employed people have lost all their income but because they also are employed very part time too, they cannot claim the grant that fully self employed workers can.

You have lost around £2k I think you said- other people have lost full time jobs paying £100K pa. It's a lot worse for many others.

Phineyj · 22/05/2020 17:01

I think AQA are on very thin ice if the other boards are taking a different approach.

I can see the argument that in this case no work = no pay, but they are being madly short sighted when they are short of examiners and are running exams in October.

Sorry for your losses, by the way.

JinglingHellsBells · 22/05/2020 17:03

@Nonnymum You are lucky. My friend's school is paying a token goodwill amount.

Hingeandbracket · 22/05/2020 17:04

My point is, my income has been removed because of the lockdown, and other people whose work has been suspended have either been furloughed or can claim on the self employment scheme. Examiners can do neither. Why? The schemes are supposed to support people whose income has been removed.

I am self employed, so is DP and my sister - we aren't getting a penny either.

beebeeduck · 22/05/2020 17:08

You aren't going to be working this summer but they will have work in the autumn when people who are opting to take the exams will do them, they will need marking.

I think it's a bit much to expect you to pay them when there is no work for you to do.

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