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Original poster

£10.60 for qualified nurse-stay or walkout

281 replies

user1471462428 · 20/06/2021 12:30

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
user1471462428 · 20/06/2021 13:29

There’s not many staff in the hospital.... maybe should have been a warning sign to me. I knew some of them were unhappy as they were paid sick leave for having Covid and now the company is trying to claw it back. @vintagenurse that’s an amazing hourly rate!!

OP posts:
rwalker · 20/06/2021 13:31

You've fucked up by not asking before you started .

Hallyup6 · 20/06/2021 13:31

Absolutely do not accept that. You're worth a heck of a lot more and there are plenty of companies that will appreciate that. You don't need to stoop down to the level of greedy management. Nobody should have to feel undervalued in their job. Show the company that you won't accept being treated like shit. If you just accept it, they'll carry on and do the same to other poor people. You need to put your foot down.

Jellybabiesforbreakfast · 20/06/2021 13:31

OP, that's horrendously low. Our cleaner earns £14-£15 per hour. Complete exploitation.

cookiemon666 · 20/06/2021 13:32

I work in a nursing home, very experienced nurse. I am on £19.50p/h. I would leave and apply for nhs, hourly rate there is about £13p/h

Egeegogxmv · 20/06/2021 13:34

The only way I would stay in this role is if I intended to act as a whistleblower

chesirecat99 · 20/06/2021 13:34

@TreeLeaf4 it is insultingly low for the role, it's less than the starting salary for a newly qualified nurse in the NHS.

@user1471462428 As a PP said, I would be raising the fact that you weren't given a statement of particulars on the first day in breach of employment law and you were verbally told that the usual salary would be £14 ph for the role and accepted on those terms. However, you have now been told that there are extra duties and responsibilities (triage), so expect a higher salary than £14 ph.

I would probably frame it as "I think there has been a mistake with my salary, I have only been paid £10.60 ph" before I went in all guns blazing. It could be a genuine mistake or they could be pushing their luck. If you frame it as a mistake, that gives them a chance to save face if they are pushing their luck and will put them on a back foot and may be more generous... If the manager goes back to £14 ph, I would then remind her that that was for a different role, without triage.

However, between the low pay, disorganisation and disregard for employment law, I would still be looking for a different job in the long term, even if they up the rate. They aren't great omens.

Dnaltocs · 20/06/2021 13:35

A house cleaner gets more.
A nurse is definitely worth more.
There are many threads here and I’ve not read them all so this may have been covered.
The finances of the organisation is not your concern. State your price and if it’s too much for them, go elsewhere. Bank work is well paid, and you can choose your hours.

On another topic are you injected for COVID. That could be a + when negotiating £.

godmum56 · 20/06/2021 13:36

just to clarify.....I know that you are a registered nurse and are keeping your registration up but are you being employed as a registered nurse?

x2boys · 20/06/2021 13:36

[quote TreeLeaf4]@Kitkat151

I’m not a registered nurse but I am a company director and DH is a headteacher. So I am aware of what it takes to run an organisation.

Clearly everyone would like higher pay but managers have a duty towards all stakeholders, including service users, staff and shareholders.

Most organisations are having to keep a tight control on costs in order to stay afloat at the moment. This includes ensuring wage costs can be kept as low as possible, as staff costs make up a huge proportion of expenditure.[/quote]
Clearly then you have no clue what you are talking about ,have a look at agenda for change and see what registered nurses are paid in the NHS ,registered nurses are from band five upwards .,plus in addition to basic pay ,nurses can earn significantly more,with shift allowance ,weekend ,night enhancement,s etc .

BungleandGeorge · 20/06/2021 13:36

[quote TreeLeaf4]@Kitkat151

I’m not a registered nurse but I am a company director and DH is a headteacher. So I am aware of what it takes to run an organisation.

Clearly everyone would like higher pay but managers have a duty towards all stakeholders, including service users, staff and shareholders.

Most organisations are having to keep a tight control on costs in order to stay afloat at the moment. This includes ensuring wage costs can be kept as low as possible, as staff costs make up a huge proportion of expenditure.[/quote]
Has your headteacher husband reduced his pay to £10.60an hour to help out?
That rate of pay is an absolute joke for a professionally qualified and registered person, they deceived you into working for a HCA salary.

Egeegogxmv · 20/06/2021 13:37

@rwalker

You've fucked up by not asking before you started .
It was a mistake not to ask before she started, but it looks like the company have deliberately maneuvered her into this, so her 'mistake' was in expecting the company to be behave decently and honorably. It's harsh of you to characterize this as situation where she has 'fucked up'...
Standrewsschool · 20/06/2021 13:38

Speak to them first. Maybe there was an error in your pay.

DogsSausages · 20/06/2021 13:41

Is it a private hospital group

Original poster
user1471462428 · 20/06/2021 13:43

Hi I am a registered nurse and a trained health professional vaccinator. I went for this role as it’s near home and a permanent contract. I was verbally offered £14 a hour by my line manager. I do have post graduate qualifications as well so feel I’m well qualified.

OP posts:
Anyusernameleft · 20/06/2021 13:44

Tell them there is a mistake with your wages that you were told £14 ph which is not what you got. And see what response you get? I'd leave tbh, or dep on your circumstances immed start looking elsewhere & go as soon as I could get out. It is awful that a qualified nurse with lots of experience is only being paid pennies more than carers. As you said, why should you take on extra responsibilty & stress & not be recognised for it.

EmbarrassingAdmissions · 20/06/2021 13:44

I second anyone who says you ought to report this as an error - which it may well be.

netstaller · 20/06/2021 13:46

I'd walk. The agency or someone in between is ripping you off and the longer you accept it it pressures others to accept it - as in it makes such a low wage justifiable "x y and a are all doing it" when it should be more

netstaller · 20/06/2021 13:47

I would query first though

DogsSausages · 20/06/2021 13:48

£14 ph is pretty low for an experienced nurse anywhere. Are there any other jobs near you.

godmum56 · 20/06/2021 13:49

@user1471462428

Hi I am a registered nurse and a trained health professional vaccinator. I went for this role as it’s near home and a permanent contract. I was verbally offered £14 a hour by my line manager. I do have post graduate qualifications as well so feel I’m well qualified.
but are you being employed as a registered nurse? I have a friend who for her own reasons is working as a cleaner in a school. She is a well qualified teacher but is being paid for the work she does, ie cleaning.
Nothingyet · 20/06/2021 13:50

@user1471462428

It’s not a care home but it is private. They look to be doing well looking at their public accounts *@FudgeSundae* I know it sounds naive but I’ve never worked in the private sector before and just expected her to tell the truth.
Why don't you get an NHS job? Better pay and conditions.
Tomnooktoldmeto · 20/06/2021 13:50

To put it in context for you, that was my hourly rate as an E grade staff nurse, 20 years ago outside London

It’s an utter piss take

quizqueen · 20/06/2021 13:51

Surely everyone, especially those claiming to be experienced professionals, would make sure they have a signed contract stating salary and terms and conditions before accepting a job!

lastcall · 20/06/2021 13:52

They've treated you poorly by not being honest about the job description or the pay. Even if they said they'd got it wrong and put it up a bit, I wouldn't trust them. I'd just quit.