£10.60 for qualified nurse-stay or walkout

[user1471462428]

I’ve been in my new job for a couple of weeks, I had asked the company to clarify my wages when I first started but the manager was unable to. She did state the generally paid around £14 an hour (this is low for nursing but I was willing to accept it). I’ve just got my first wage slip and it’s £10.60 an hour, it feels like an insult I have to pay a registration fee to be a nurse and once that is deducted I won’t be far off the minimum wage. I have over a decade nursing experience and I will only be paid a pound more than their health care assistant. I’m wondering whether I should walk out? I haven’t been given a contract and feel I’ve been deceived.

[TreeLeaf4]

@Snookie00

I would object to the idea that £10.20 an hour is ‘insultingly low’. Clearly it’s not going to allow a luxury lifestyle but an annual salary of over £22,000 is competitive and a lot higher than many jobs in the U.K.

In any event, as I say, many organisations are having to make efficiency savings and reduce costs wherever possible. It may well be that the OP’s employer would look to increase the salary once their financial situation is better.

[Lipz]

Would they have made a mistake? Can you double check? Maybe being new the wage person entered you at the wrong rate.

If it's correct I'd look for something else after voicing my disappointment.

[Egeegogxmv]

Surely they won't attract good staff if they are paying such low wages and it's better for your career advancement to be working with competent staff who know their own worth!

[Zorinindustries]

How could you have accepted a job without written clarification of terms and conditions, including pay? It's pretty basic stuff.

[x2boys]

[quote TreeLeaf4]@Snookie00

I would object to the idea that £10.20 an hour is ‘insultingly low’. Clearly it’s not going to allow a luxury lifestyle but an annual salary of over £22,000 is competitive and a lot higher than many jobs in the U.K.

In any event, as I say, many organisations are having to make efficiency savings and reduce costs wherever possible. It may well be that the OP’s employer would look to increase the salary once their financial situation is better.[/quote]
It's low for a qualified nurse though .

[RickiTarr]

I would object to the idea that £10.20 an hour is ‘insultingly low’. Clearly it’s not going to allow a luxury lifestyle but an annual salary of over £22,000 is competitive and a lot higher than many jobs in the U.K.

It’s insultingly low for a specialist graduate occupation, with ongoing professional registration requirements and high responsibility levels.

[Confuzzled12345]

Is it emergency taxed until your on roll?

[user1471462428]

I was recruited to a nursing post. The recruitment process was incredibly chaotic and I wrongly assumed I would be given a contract when I started. The manager said my contract is on the internal computer system. Part of the job involves triaging patients (which I wasn’t told about at interview) I’m feeling very uncomfortable about that level of responsibility with such a low wage.

[CBARN]

an annual salary of over £22,000 is competitive
In what way? - competing to pay the lowest salary? Or in line with what other experienced nurses are paid - because this is clearly nonsense.

[user1471462428]

It has been emergency tax but it’s still 10.60 gross before deductions .

[TreeLeaf4]

@RickiTarr

£10.60 an hour may simply be the absolute maximum that the organisation can afford to pay. If the rest of the staff are on minimum wage, £10.60 is actually significantly more than that.

As I say, a care home near me has has to reduce all staff wages by 30% over the pandemic period in order to stay open. Staff have simply accepted the necessity of this and got on with their jobs.

[Snookie00]

Are there any other local jobs which would pay more? If so, move job. You don’t need to work for a lower salary if you have options.

[Confuzzled12345]

@user1471462428 you'd get that as a waitress or cleaner in some places 😱

[user1471462428]

I’ll just take a HCA job then and not have the responsibility. There is one nearer for £10.35. What’s the point in paying registration costs?

[RickiTarr]

[quote TreeLeaf4]@RickiTarr

£10.60 an hour may simply be the absolute maximum that the organisation can afford to pay. If the rest of the staff are on minimum wage, £10.60 is actually significantly more than that.

As I say, a care home near me has has to reduce all staff wages by 30% over the pandemic period in order to stay open. Staff have simply accepted the necessity of this and got on with their jobs.[/quote]
They need a certain number of nurses per x number of residents, they pay for them. Nurses aren’t philanthropists, there to subsidise profit-making businesses by working a shade above NMW.

[QueenOfPain]

Nurse here, you are definitely not being unreasonable.

Why don’t you get a job in the NHS? I hate to say it but nursing homes are dead ends for career progression, skill acquisition, pay, benefits and every other expectation that a skilled professional is reasonable to expect.

[AnnaMagnani]

£10.20 an hour is low for nursing though and given there is a UK wide shortage of nurses, paying below the market rate is going to mean they don't recruit staff.

I work in a shortage field. I know what the rate of pay is for my field and if I don't get it, I don't come and work for you. Employers will pay the rate if they are desperate enough, you have to value yourself and move on.

[Egeegogxmv]

The manager said my contract is on the internal computer system
Or is that a delaying tactic so that you commit yourself and it's harder for you to back out when you find out the truth?

[TreeLeaf4]

@RickiTarr

Clearly nurses are not philanthropists and deserve to be paid reasonably for their roles.

However, it is not a career that people enter for money and many organisations that employ nurses have many constraints on what they can afford to pay.

[DamnUserName21]

@Gingernaut

Sorry OP.

Unless you have highly prized, specialist nursing skills (ICU, Neonatal or cardiac care), the vast majority of nurses are paid shit wages in the private sector.

On top of that you have to pay for CPD and registration.

Bank work at a local hospital pays better, but is crazy stressful.

This is incorrect.
Private sector-especially care homes tend to pay higher hourly rates for RNs than the NHS, in the SE at least. What they don't have are sick pay and, often, night enhancements.

[QueenOfPain]

Nursing homes are profit making business, and their service users pay handsomely for that care as do the local authority. The whole system needs an overhaul.

I remember my grandmas nursing home taking donations leftover food from Gregg’s at the end of the day, when residents are paying a £1000 a week to be there, if not more. It absolutely takes the piss.

[RickiTarr]

OP, I’m not a nurse but I used to be an HR manager. Since last year, you have been entitled to a “statement of particulars” (like a summary of your contract terms) on your first day at work - it used to be within two months of starting but now it’s first day of work- maybe bring that to their attention politely when you query your pay rate. It sounds like you haven’t had one, and if not, that’s a breach of employment law.

www.acas.org.uk/what-must-be-written-in-an-employment-contract/when-an-employee-must-get-their-written-terms

[x2boys]

[quote TreeLeaf4]@RickiTarr

£10.60 an hour may simply be the absolute maximum that the organisation can afford to pay. If the rest of the staff are on minimum wage, £10.60 is actually significantly more than that.

As I say, a care home near me has has to reduce all staff wages by 30% over the pandemic period in order to stay open. Staff have simply accepted the necessity of this and got on with their jobs.[/quote]
But as a registered nurse,the Op wil be in charge and carry the can if something goes wrong and will also be responsible for medication rounds ,and other clinical tasks ,so obviously she should expect a significantly higher wage then care staff ,as it's a highly skilled job for which they will have done three years training for,and maywell have a degree .

[DamnUserName21]

But there is also a glass ceiling of pay. You may end up staying on the same rate of the pay for the duration of your career in a NH.

[cricketmum84]

You need a proper breakdown from payroll and if they confirm that hourly rate then yea I would walk.

But YABU to start a new job without clarifying your salary and hourly rate first! Rookie error!