Exam board confirmed no pay

[RainbowBabyDreams]

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%?

I'm not sure why people are getting so rude with you. There's no work to do for furloughed people yet they're being paid. This is no different. As somone who would be doing various bits if work like this I do get it.

@RainbowBabyDreams I feel for you. It sucks. I hope that AQA see the error of their ways, especially when Edexel and OCR are being more pragmatic.

This is clearly an unfortunate situation all round. However, I don't believe it is right for taxpayers to pay people who are mostly already receiving full pay as teachers thousands of pounds for doing nothing.

The furlough scheme is designed to help people who are temporarily unable to work. It is not meant for those like examiners who are either self employed or seasonal workers.

It is no different to me cancelling a restaurant booking due to illness. Annoying for both parties, yes. But I have no obligation to pay for a service I have not used and am never going to.

I feel for you but I have many friends who are working and have had to take a 10% pay cut for the foreseeable , there's loads of losers at the moment

Okrightbut i have NOT said I'm the only one hard done by.

Alone my circumstances were given as explanation for why I am not currently in a teaching position earning salary or furlough from that.

I'm off to cancel the bloody cheque.

You can only be furloughed if you were on the payroll in March, lots of people who changed job in early March found themselves without support. A job that doesn't start until July and is temporary of course has no support

That's interesting about being on the payroll in March, because we had signed contracts by then and had compulsory training to do in February.

They may be paying a percentage of your estimated earnings. Edexcel are doing that for all. OCR examiners have been furloughed, and one of the other boards, I think.

Well I think it is shit and I'm sorry you are in this situation. Having escaped working in schools after a decade that was overall crap as a working experience and only made bearable by the actual kids, it is sad to see the lack of solidarity for fellow professionals that is so rife in schools displayed so blatantly on here.

Exam invigilators are in the same boat. No work + no pay + no furlough. The contract is to pay you to do work that is needed/Zero Hours, Zero Papers. No work is needed.

It's cost us a hell of a lot of money.

@RainbowBabyDreams I posted a bit ago about my own situation, because I am also feeling shocked and shit due to losing every single penny of my income as a result of working in a sector which was closed down overnight in March. I am wondering how I can possibly carry on, and am thinking that my teenagers/young adults would be better off if I took my own life and they benefited from my life insurance policy. However, it isn't a race to the bottom, and your situation is horrible, too. So many people are struggling with different things now, and a little bit of kindness and understanding wouldn't go amiss. I hope you can work out a solution.

As a household, we have lost £5k per month since March as a result of Covid.We don’t qualify to have any of that paid to us by the taxpayer. Despite being taxpayers ourselves.

Nor should you. If you earn 5k a month then you should have saved enough to keep you going.

It’s payable on completion of contract - however the contracts cannot be completed. Reliance on it? I couldn’t live off the five weeks a year I mark papers!

Edexcel are calling it ex gratia - By favour. It’s probably only goodwill to us all. They’ve already used the money they get in designing, organising and printing the papers. It’s done before the money comes in fully.

I was relying on this heavily this year but we’ve had to compromise. At no point did I think I would get paid for these this summer when they were cancelled! I don’t think they’re obliged to give anything - I’m happy for the 20%.

I'd be happy with 20% too. Wasn't really expecting anything tbh. Am more cross at the unfair treatment across different exam boards, the emails suggesting that they might be able to sort something that we've had over the last few months, and the final one that suggested that a small amount like the others are getting wouldn't be worth bothering with.

I didn’t say otherwise, Beebee.

You needed to have been employed on 19th March (or 28th Feb) and for an RTI payment submission To have been processed on or before 19th March.

Financial support has been given to people very erratically. Lots of my competitors/colleagues are getting payments whilst still able to work and I'm about on the verge of a breakdown working ridiculously long hours trying to save my business for about 30% of my normal income. And I didn't even earn the average wage last year so I'm not rich. I think there are going to be long-lasting social and psychological effects from the uneven way it's been done.

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.

There are lots of people who don't qualify for furlough nor self employment support because, like you, they don't meet the criteria. The advice for thousands of self employed and employees who've fallen through the cracks is to claim universal credit.

That's interesting about being on the payroll in March, because we had signed contracts by then and had compulsory training to do in February.

That's not the criteria, which is actually being paid on a payroll as at end Feb/early March, as submitted to HMRC. A signed contract doesn't count if no payroll was paid by the criteria dates set.

RainbowBabyDreams I think this is sadly the reality for many people who work in the exam industry. I invigilate and the summer exam season (internal plus public exams) is nearly 3 months work and several thousand pounds pay. Sadly there are no exams so no pay and it’s not a job which is possible/ appropriate to furlough. It’s a pain but it is what it is - no exams so no need for exam related staff. I’m just hoping that this years year 11’s and 13’s receive results that reflect their efforts/ abilities. Also hoping that current year 10’s & 12’s can sit their exams next year and that the impact COVID has had on their education is factored in.

Rainbowbabydreams, I really feel for you, you've lost a big chunk of income and it's utterly unfair that some people are compensated while others aren't. It would have been very easy for the government to ensure that everyone had a basic income during the crisis but instead they have created winners and losers. I have no idea why some posters on here have had a go at you - it shows a remarkable lack of imagination at best, and a level of vindictiveness at worst.

I hope you manage to get through this rough patch - and to avoid AQA like the plague next year. They are the worst exam board in so many ways.

CIE I believe are furloughing their U.K. examiners and trying to come to some arrangement for their overseas examiners. I’ve found them to be a good employer, better than AQA and OCR, both of whom I’ve wOrked for in the past.

That's not the criteria, which is actually being paid on a payroll as at end Feb/early March, as submitted to HMRC

I was paid at the end of feb early March

But i Think kitty is right in terms of invigilating

I've been furloughed by another Board though!

It is unfair. But supply teachers aren’t getting paid. Lecturers on zero hours or short term contracts aren’t getting paid.