What would you expect to do for £7.50 an hour in an office!!

[Tootiredforthis]

Ok.....no double entendre meant!

We are a small business and employ an admin person and pay her as above. However she seems unable to do much other than answer the phone. (which isn't very busy )
We are not based in London...so no extra wages for that...could we expect some sort of computer literacy or database knowledge for this wage or am I dreaming? Can't afford to pay more at the moment but could do with a bit more help. Any other admin type people out there? What do you get paid and what's expected of you? Thanks

WOW £15ph for clerical work?!! I would jump at that! I work in a 'professional' role (without meaning patronising) doing work that involves risk assessments on criminals, drug rehab work, running cbt programmes and I don't get paid that much! Our admin staff are on around £16k a year, but they are expected to do a lot for that money.

Unknownrebelbang - and I work in CJS too ! whats the job, let me know so I can apply when they come up!

I think unknownrebelbang is saying salaries would be £15K per annum starting point, not £15 per hour. I probably get £15 an hour but I work in central London and very few public sector secretarial jobs pay that much - legal secretaries can earn more than that in private practice but a lot are being made redundant at the moment.

I would think you could get someone with reasonable keyboard skills and some ability to use a PC for that pay. Is the database help you need just entering data or setting something up? Do you need a lot of organising the office eg setting up filing systems as well as filing in them?

Maybe if you can't offer more pay you can look at what you need eg do you need to have someone in the office full time hours or could you offer any form of flexibility? If you were looking for a new staff member could you offer a higher hourly rate for the right skills, but for less hours?

I though she said PH! I was getting very worried my employers had not been telling me something! £15k sounds right for national. Yes! thanks for correcting me, i think my bed is calling .

nonono pavlov - I said pa (per annum) not ph! Alas I missed the k (ie 15k).

I work in an AP, still admin, but higher scale (all those Home Office stats donchaknow), same grade as PSO, and I don't earn anywhere near £15 per hour either.

I work for the DWP and dont earn that much more than what you are offering. I have responsibility for the customers I deal with.I am computer literate and can deal with awkward customers with aplomb. I answer to a team leader and also to a section manager. I am on the phone non-stop from 8-4 every day and have targets about how long each call should be.

I would think that in the present economic climate you can ask for the highest qualifications possible. I know that a lot of people are desperate for a regular job that pays reasonably well. Dont forget that working tax credits help out with finances in a lot of situations

I am a graduate working as an adminstrator for £6.50 per hour . I can use Word, Excel etc. I'm not a trained secretary but can type letters and produce invoices. Also greet clients, answer telephone (offering an advice service - I work for a charity), do the filing and any other ad hoc duties which come up. I only work 9 hours a week and took the job as it fitted in with the dc and was a way of easing me back into the workplace after being a SAHM for 8 years. However, now I want to work more hours and earn more money !

Helen - am in brighton and it's 3 mornings per week, 4 hrs each, not have to do school hols too.

I answer the telephone, type invoices and valuations (on word and excel), add up the invoices payable, write the cheques out, do the photocopying, make the tea and order the statinery

that should have read must do school hols!

Well..the work involves a lot of servicing in properties. The chaps bring in a service record and the data has to be put onto a database. Tbh I asked my 9year old to do a bit over the weekend and she coped admirably! (and I only paid her £3.50!!). So I'm after someone who can answer phones, take messages and input data on Excel...the key word is accuracy however..can't afford mistakes! I do need her to use her initiative and see what needs doing when the phone isn't ringing. Seems like the wage is pitched about right for the job then. Thanks

Well, for 7.50 I would, err I would, stay at home

7.50 full time is very different to 7.5 part time. I'd expect a temp to earn a slightly higher salary in exchange for no benefits, no job security etc.

I would have thought though that whatever rate the temp agreed to be paid, basic secretarial duties would certainly include answering the phone, general typing and filing and data capturing at the very least.

I used to do payroll, personnel, train staff, general admin, report writing and lots more for £7.50 per hour. That was in London until 2007!

I live in Yorkshire and think £15k is a pretty decent salary, especially for someone starting out on the career ladder.