Minimumwage

[Guest]

For all those employers, I have just read that the minimum wage has gone up by 21p per hour for those over 21 years, 17p for those 18 - 21 and 13p for 16/17 year olds.

 

Although I know the staff deserve it, but frankly I don't know how I am going to find this extra cash. If I charge parents much more I won't get as many children through the door, which obviously will result in job losses, but at this rate my sustainability is looking pretty dodgy.

 

£5.73 21+

£4.77 18+

£3.53 16+

 

with this and the huge amount of revenue I loose by offering NEG hours to children and only getting £8.00 (instead of £18) for a session, it's going to hit settings and PARENTS hard.

 

Sorry to all staff - I know you deserve it, but us nursery owners aren't making the money to be able to continue to keep pay these amounts. It means that all staff have to have a rise to match these amounts, which basically equates to me having to find around £5000 more per year. This on top of finding extra Ofsted fees, rent rises of £5000, etc.

 

A 60% rise in four years is just huge!! Shows how badly the economy is doing if a 60% rise in wages has been necessary for people to be able to live these days.

 

Anyone want to buy a nursery - going cheap!!! Must have deep pockets

[Inge]

This is from 1st October 08 .. further details on this link MINIMUM WAGE

 

As PVI and a charity we just survive on the income from NEG but it does keep wages to a low level, particularly when income does not go up in same percentage as minimum wage does.

 

And when we are expected to think about employing a graduate in each setting spells disaster.

 

Inge

[Guest]

Just another kick in the teeth for us to suffer. Yes I think staff deserve it but we are going to go out of business at this rate and quickly. Then how will the fabulous government we have get parents back to work when ther is no choice of childcare just government funded Childrens centres and of course they have to justify the BILLIONS that has been spent

[SazzJ]

Our nursery fees always increase in April so the manager has a rough idea of what our wage will increase by for that year by then.

 

I do think the staff deserve more but i think the sector needs a lot of funding from the government.

[Shiny]

Does everyone else's wages go up 21p per hour? Mine usually goes up 2% per year giving me a 15p pay rise. At this rate I will end up on minimum wage. It will catch up with me!!

 

My prospects are looking great!

[Guest]

you have till October to raise your fees to accomodate the pay rise. Don't forget it goes up every year on 1st october so you should increase your fees at least by the same amount to cover it.

[SazzJ]

We get min wage for our age

 

However, my setting operates a bonus too. If you aren't off sick then you qualify for 15p for L2 an hour for that month and 25p an hour for L3.

[Guest]

Don't forget the increase in holiday pay too!!. It went up from 4 weeks per year to 4.8 weeks on 1st Oct 07 and will rise again to 5.6 week (as ususal - paid pro rata for part time) on 1st April 2008. Something I hadn't realised was that when working out the pro-rata entitlement you have to divide the hours or days worked by 48 weeks not 52 as you can't include the original 4 weeks hol pay in the calucation of hours/days worked. Also, you cannot include an amount for holiday pay in the hourly rate it must be paid seperately. oh hum!!

[Inge]

Holiday entitlement goes up in April 2009 so still a year to go fro that one!!

 

Holiday entitlement

 

Shiny, our wages go up by the same percentage as the minimum wage each year usually about 4% , this keeps the differentiation in pay scales.

 

Inge

[Shiny]

Best I get on to the committee then, thanks Inge.

[Inge]

good luck with the committee, ours took a bit of persuasion but realised the benefit in a happy staff.

 

Inge

[beth1]

Sounds like more fun trying to work out who needs what and how much then, just get used to one level of wage and an increase come along.

 

 

 

Beth

[Guest]

sorry - yes you're right Inge the next hol pay increase is 2009 it was a typo.

Edited March 5, 2008 by Guest

[Guest]

It's interesting when Gordon Brown boasts about how minimum wage has gone up by 60% since 1999. About the same % as all our bills and food costs then!! What he gives with one hand he takes with another.

 

I had another thought - just to depress you all. Of course this 21p also has to have Employers NI added to it.

 

Just to put all this in context, a member of staff working 37.5 hours per week (21+) will pick up an extra £409.50. If you feel you will have to give all your staff members a rise to match the min wage rise, and based on my setting, I would have to give 14 people this rise, costing a total of £5,733 per annum. Add to this Employers NI, and you are talking about finding a substantial amount of money. All this on top of the other huge food rises, rent, rates etc that we have to cope with. And not forgetting the Ofsted fees that are heading skywards!!!

 

The government are going to have to start helping PVI and charitable settings if they want to keep us open. I am seriously worried.