Work permit??

[Katymac]

A lady that works for me (originonally from the Phillipines) has asked if I would consider employing her niece

She is qualified and would be an ideal addition to our setting

How do I go about organising a work permit, will it cost a lot & how long would it take?

She would live with her auntie

Breakdown of cost involved:

There is a fee of £190 for the consideration of a work permit. An application for Further Leave to Remain on an FLR(IED) form costs £350 for postal and £500 for premium rate.

Katy. We have a staff member fron Sri Lanka who needed to renew her work permit before she could begin working with us (she had been working at another nursery but as her permit was specific to the place of work she needed to renew with our nursery as her 'place of work.')

She paid for the permit, about £500 IIRC. We gave her copies of her contract, our registration docs, insurance etc. We also had to prove that we had advertised to try and fill the post, she sent away copies of adverts etc.

In addition we had to confirm in writing that she was the best candidate for the job, which she is.

HTH.

Is staffing a big problem for you?

I worry about it so much - it's so hard to be a good employer

I am starting to understand what motivates some of my staff (eg time off for school plays, being allowed to carry leave over to the next year, being told how good they are) - but for some staff I am completely at a loss as to how they perceive the job/praise and how to reward them or show that they are appreciated

Katy the reward for doing a job is called salary. This often seems to be forgotten by some people.

Praise and thanks, of course - everyone likes to feel appreciated. We also encourage and pay for our staff to attend training courses to keep them interested and motivated. TBH, if you are providing good working conditions and pay and are approachable and friendly then you are doing well.

It is a lot easier for us to find staff here in London than I imagine it is for you, though.

I have advertised a pm shift 8 times in 15 months and not managed to employ anyone.

I have employed and kept 3 other staff (for different shifts) during a similar period

I have not found someone for that shift & we just got bigger & now need someone else

I wonder if I should advertise on MN - after the flood thread last night I found lots of local people

3rd sentance should be 'NOW' not 'NOT'

That sounds like a good idea, Katy. You need someone local by the sounds of it.