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AIBU?

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Original poster

To this this wage is far too low?

142 replies

thirtytalking · 30/11/2023 10:14

I work as a dental nurse. Have to pay £55 a day childcare, have to pay £120 a year subscription to the GCC, and £40 a year for a CPD programme. It's hard, stressful work.

I get £11.20 an hour. I thought that was bad. Talking to others who have been there longer, they don't even earn that. Some have done extra courses and have other duties and have been refused a pay rise.

I worked in pubs and came home with more. I claim UC and the pay is so low (I only do a few days) it's triggered a back to work meeting. In my last job there was no stress, I didn't have to be qualified or pay anything.. I just served a few drinks and came home with more money. It's a joke.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 01/12/2023 07:32

My daughter has just turned 16 and is working in retail part time for £11.51ph. Admitted that's really good for her age but it's terrible that it's more than you get for yours.

Thehop · 01/12/2023 07:32

similar to early years professional roles. I was in a private nursery until 2 years ago on minimum wage plus 5p an hour to manage a busy baby room and staff. 40 years old and level 5 qualified with vast responsibilities.

earky years/nursery practitioner is still a minimum wage role now despite the demands risks and responsibilities.

fewling under valued is impossible to keep up with. Keep looking for other roles.

Kathryn1983 · 01/12/2023 07:32

This is even more scandalous when you know what dentists earn and how much dental care costs us!
Think dentists should be forced to take a slight pay cut to pay their assistants a reasonable wage!
Would you earn more in a private practice?
would you consider moving abroad maybe oz have it better?
could you ask a family member to do childcare for a third day and do some bar work again to top up the wage?
The childcare element unfortunately is just one of those things many people earn practically nothing after that comes out but it's only for 2 years then the 30 hours kick in
are you eligible for the 15 hrs at 2? Look into that for sure !
if you are paying that for a child at school that's crazy cost of wraparound care ours is more like £12 so see about that also

Tigertigertigertiger · 01/12/2023 07:34

Negotiate a pay rise !

Alondra · 01/12/2023 07:38

thirtytalking · 30/11/2023 10:14

I work as a dental nurse. Have to pay £55 a day childcare, have to pay £120 a year subscription to the GCC, and £40 a year for a CPD programme. It's hard, stressful work.

I get £11.20 an hour. I thought that was bad. Talking to others who have been there longer, they don't even earn that. Some have done extra courses and have other duties and have been refused a pay rise.

I worked in pubs and came home with more. I claim UC and the pay is so low (I only do a few days) it's triggered a back to work meeting. In my last job there was no stress, I didn't have to be qualified or pay anything.. I just served a few drinks and came home with more money. It's a joke.

This is disgraceful. A cleaner in Australia earns 3/4 times an hour more than you.

I have no idea how you manage paying all your bills.

BlueEyedPeanut · 01/12/2023 07:43

That's pretty standard for "just" dental nursing. Did you do any additional training or qualifications (radiography, for example) in the 13 years since qualifying that you could use to negotiate a pay rise? Dental hygienists and dental therapist make more money.

RaininSummer · 01/12/2023 07:48

Just a reminder that once youngest child is three, UC now expects 30 hours a week not 16 so there will be regular work search appointments at that point. Wages are low in so many jobs now and as said above pay rises, or lack of them, have eroded the differential between jobs at the lowest scale and those which were a bit above to reflect added qualifications or responsibility.

NotFastButFurious · 01/12/2023 07:49

I don’t think any role that requires qualifications beyond Alevel should be paid minimum wage, I’m shocked that it’s so low. Would working in the private sector be better paid? I’d hope so given how much they charge for a 10min check up!

Viviennemary · 01/12/2023 07:56

The hourly rate is low. But you aren't going to make a living wage working only 16 hours a week and paying nursery fees.

RosesAndHellebores · 01/12/2023 08:07

It's difficult but the bottom line is that you don't enjoy it. Therefore do something else.

My dentist charges me £65 for 25 minutes with the hygienist. Frankly I'd pay £85 if I could get an apt before 8.30 or after 6pm.

MikeRafone · 01/12/2023 08:12

April 2024 everyone over 21 will be on a minimum wage of £11.44 per hour, so equivalent of £23,795 per annum at 40 hrs per week full time

If now you are earning £11.20 per hour, that is a full time equivalent of £23,296 at 40 hrs per week full time

CocoChanellee · 01/12/2023 08:14

You need to change jobs.

This isn't about the money so much as that you find the work stressful.

Before you start applying for other jobs, or retraining, think hard about why you find the work now too stressful. You qualified years ago, so has something changed between then and now with your stress levels?

The other option is to work for a private dental practice which (I assume) will set their own levels of pay.

OR if you really want to stay in dentistry, could you train as a hygienist? There is a huge shortage.

Twiglets1 · 01/12/2023 08:14

It’s shit that jobs like yours pay so little but it’s typical I would say for part time jobs that can fit in around childcare and don’t require weekend working. Jobs that don’t require too many qualifications and are chosen primarily by women.

I worked as a Teaching Assistant for years and the pay was similar. Increasing minimum wage is going to help people working in these sort of jobs, though it won’t feel good psychologically to be on minimum wage despite doing a job that does require quite highly developed skills & professionalism. Women (and it is 95% women ) tend to do it to save on childcare costs as then you get the same holidays as your children.

To be realistic, you are limited in what you can do to get a higher paid job. You have young children and live rurally. You don’t want to work weekends so that basically cuts out work in the hospitality industry. In your situation I would consider jobs in schools once your child is school aged.

If you are really hating your job now you need to carry on looking for alternatives. I wouldn’t expect it to be significantly better paid given the limitations of what you can do at the moment. But when the thought of work is making you cry it’s definitely time to move on and maybe your work coach can help suggest a few ideas for the New Year.

CocoChanellee · 01/12/2023 08:15

My dentist charges me £65 for 25 minutes with the hygienist. Frankly I'd pay £85 if I could get an apt before 8.30 or after 6pm.

@RosesAndHellebores she's not a hygienist.

Kaybee50 · 01/12/2023 08:16

That really is a very low wage for someone so skilled.
For context my 16 year old son earns more than that being a waiter in a local restaurant. If you really don’t like your job then please look for something else.

mamma65432 · 01/12/2023 08:17

Could you not ask for a pay rise in the first instance? and the child care should be tax free shouldn't it?

Picklemeyellow · 01/12/2023 08:17

That is dreadful especially considering how expensive dentistry is.

Would you like to try something else completely different? Would you consider something like PA work for disabled people? I am a PA for a disabled lady (no personal care involved at all) and earn £16 per hour, it’s a really lovely job and quite varied throughout the day. I only work part time too.

WeekWeekWeek · 01/12/2023 08:17

the pay is so low (I only do a few days) it's triggered a back to work meeting

Can you explain what you mean by this, OP?

I don’t get how a low salary could trigger a back to work meeting.

CocoChanellee · 01/12/2023 08:17

Are there different grades of dental nurses?

As a patient (I go to a private dentist) the assistant in the room simply does paperwork (record keeping) or hands the dentist the tools they need. They don't do anything clinical. At the very most they might use the aspirator, but that's it.

What does your role involve?

Fieldofbrokenpromises · 01/12/2023 08:18

mamma65432 · 01/12/2023 08:17

Could you not ask for a pay rise in the first instance? and the child care should be tax free shouldn't it?

OP isn't paid enough to pay tax

CocoChanellee · 01/12/2023 08:19

OP isn't paid enough to pay tax

She must pay NI as the income bar is set very low for that.

Irishmama100 · 01/12/2023 08:21

That is scandalous. My 16 year old has a part time retail job that pays £11 an hour. To have to actually pay money to work for that rate is soo bad.

Runnerduck34 · 01/12/2023 08:21

It is low, I have a friend who was a dental nurse who studied to be a nurse after being fed up of such low pay with no prospect of better wages staying in the same job.
Would you consider retraining? You will have transferable skills.
Can you ask your employer to pay your registration/ professional body membership fees? I think morally they should pay these but of course aren't obliged to.
Unfortunately I think dental nurses are under paid
Another example of very low pay for qualified job is a vetinary nurse.
Both jobs female dominated.

GetYourBaublesOut · 01/12/2023 08:24

YANBU - it's a very low wage for a qualified, experienced professional.

Wouldn't blame you for leaving.

Nottodaty · 01/12/2023 08:26

I was a qualified dental nurse (many years ago) hours long, expectations - pay was just a tiny bit more than minimal wage, no sick pay. Expected to manage a room - ordering etc, the front desk, phone calls , diaries, patients and a lot more! I worked 7:30 to prep the room to 6.30 & Saturday mornings. As a qualified Dental Nurse I received 15p more an hour than a non qualified staff member.

I left as I wanted to progress but couldn’t do the course as they wouldn’t slightly change my hours. And I was completely restricted when I could take leave. I lived no where near my family and at the time couldn’t afford a car - one Christmas planned to travel down Christmas Eve and asked for the day of after Boxing Day to travel back - was told no I had to come in - I handed my notice in.