Are we undervalued

[Maverick]

I know there was a topic posted recently but as I can't find it I started a new thread.

Previously I was a tradesman. I had years of study to get my qualifications at my own expense and then years of building up my experience to try and better myself financially. I got my work ethic from my hard working parents and just accepted that was the right course to take. But conversations with cleaners this week and sudden realisations make me question , why do I do what I do?

Basic income tax allows us to earn £12000 tax free. One of the cleaning team said that they managed to take home £650 last month. Couple that with a single persons universal credit of £300 (plus all the other perks) he cleared nearly £1000 for 10 hours work! That is quarter of the hours for half the pay. You could say the tax I pay gives him the universal credit he receives.

So please people, somebody tell me,why do we bother?

[Vera]

That is an existential question..

Most of us do what we do for yes, the money but also for the sense of doing something worthwhile.

[thecaretaker]

The split shifts got me, made the day very long. Worked O/T every evening and half the weekend. It seemed I was always working (60+ hours a week). The thing I noticed is I missed a lot of my kids growing up, they were still in bed when I left in the morning and were in bed when I got home at night. It wasn't until I left, got another job 9-5 37 hours a week, more money and it seemed like part time work to me.

Thing is, you can't get back those years and feel sad that I didn't develop the close bonds with my kids like my wife has. BUT, I had to keep a roof over our heads. I too looked at other people and family members who seem happy to live off the state in a council house, they always seemed to have new cars and didn't want for anything, I often wondered where I went wrong.

[ElGuapo]

It's funny I've been pondering this myself recently too.
I suppose it's for the dignity of working to provide for your family, which is a dignified and worthwhile thing obviously. And to provide a good example of work ethic to your kids. But if it means not seeing your kids much because of working a lot......??
It does get you down occasionally when you are slogging your guts out, but realise you could cut down your work and get benefits and still probably bring home the same money.
Be interested to hear everyone else's take on it too.

[PalaceEagles]

I was only just recently having this discussion with the guy I work with in the afternoon regarding the cleaners and we couldn't understand how they get away with it. I had one of the cleaners come up to me recently explaining that he only got this job because that job centre was on to him to get a job. He get's paid his monthly wage but also claims benefits. What's even more alarming is that his brother is a builder and he works with him most nights for cash. The most frustrating thing I find with the cleaners here is that a little bit of a cold and they phone in unwell or ask can I leave early as I have somewhere I need to be. I'm sure not all cleaners work ethics are questionable but some I have known will try and get away with as little as possible.

[Keyolder]

I once had a HT tell me that as anyone can do my job, he could replace me with someone on minimum wage. Yeah, right see how that goes…

I often wonder where I went wrong, I’ve worked all my life and paid my way, now retired I still need to watch the pennies.
My assistant would only work his hours no more, he had a large youmg family and lived in what he called his benefits house. Any overtime he worked would mean he would lose his benefits.

Most of my friends inherited wealth so are mortgage free and comfortably well off which I don't begrudge, but all of them retired early whereas I worked one year after I could have retired.

I had a shock after my son left college and got his first job, his starting salary was more generous than mine and I was on the highest scale point for my grade.
So yes, I do think we as caretakers are undervalued…

[magpie]

Yes, we have been for years

[Dexter]

Yes.

Not necessarily at school level but overwhelmingly nationally.

Can't see it changing unless some government boffin sees potential savings from basic certification of caretakers, along with training (where necessary) to enable more work to be done in-house.

[hendo91]

site manager/caretaker role in general in my opinion is a grossly underpaid position the basic role cleaning, general maintenance coupled with the unsociable hours is one thing but we all know there's no limit to the expectation every year there is something new or extra added on and we are expected to just find the time...I like to say there is what I call a steady busy to the role I can have a brew do my basic cleaning find time for my snag jobs and maintain the site without feeling pressure BUT that steady busy is 2...weeks a month 3 if I am lucky the other week 2 weeks is start to finish non stop and always one job half done in the evening ready and waiting to be carried on with the following day.....not to mention putting up with a building full of idiots who think there clever

[eebagum]

Left school caretaking 2 years ago. 37.5 hours a week and split shifts. Now 35 hours no split shifts still caretaking and more pay. Oh and better thought of. We are just the mugs in schools now. I was on 10p an hour more than my cleaners and I was the site manager. JOKE