Taking over the bike shop...

[Andy in Germany]

The meeting happened. There's good news and there's bad news.

The good news is that they're really happy with what I'm doing with clients and with the department, and they want me to stay.

This area of social work tends to be staffed by people who want to do a "social" job but who don't have the qualifications in social care. It's only recently that Occupational Therapists have begun working in this area; I think I'm the third in this organisation and the second started just before me.

Unfortunately, the payment scale for the work hasn't caught up with the reality on the ground and the organisation doesn't have the funding to pay me the going rate. I'd actually have to take a pay cut to stay; compared to the normal rate I'd be underpaid to the tune of over 10,000€ per year. With a family to support I can't take that sort of reduction for long.

My current plan, agreed with the boss, is to stay for a while on the reduced rate and look for other work, possibly part time, so that I have an income that can support the family. Alternatively I'll have to find a full time job elsewhere.

 

[All uphill]

I'm sorry you are in that situation, Andy.

On the good side you have a fantastic success to tell new employers about, and about 300 potential job references from us lot.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I feel for you, Andy, but right now, I'm fuming.

Am I right in understanding that you started a year ago...ish and now they tell you that there is no money in the kitty for your position?

As a matter of interest, how much notice have you had that your salary will fall? And how long did they know?

How long is "a while" that you will stay on the lower salary? For example, 1/2/3 months? Have you set a time limit?

I have no idea what the pension situation is in Germany but it is something you may want to consider. And tax on a second job.

€10,000 (at least) per annum is ballpark €800 per month. That's a lot of part-time work.


I'm going to stop writing in a moment because I don't think it'll help.

@All uphill is dead right: You have a fantastic success under your belt - don't forget that.

A big, virtual hug to you. You must be feeling crap.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I feel for you, Andy, but right now, I'm fuming.

Am I right in understanding that you started a year ago...ish and now they tell you that there is no money in the kitty for your position?

Sort of. The organisation is funded from two main areas. 1: government/EU programmes, and 2: Second hand shops.

I was originally taken on for a two year contract on a Job Centre funded programme to help refugees and migrants integrate and find work. After about six months the people in charge realised that a lot of this was German language training, which for obvious reasons I'm not the best person for. They could have just ended my contract but instead I was transferred to work in the shops and then eventually in the bike workshop a year ago.

In other words, I've been working in the organisation for 2 years, six months of which was in my originally intended position. This is important because the project jobs are paid by a set pay scale, so I was earning about the right amount for my qualifications and experience. The shop pay scale is considerably lower because as I said above, there aren't many professional occupational therapists in that area. [EDIT: And the shops get no external support so they have to pay for themselves, and took a big hit over Corona.] However, my salary remained at the original level, in practice this probably means I was paid better than most of my colleagues.

The two year Job Centre funded programme is coming to an end and isn't going to be continued because it is being replaced by another programme. At the same time the boss "realised" that I was still being paid the project rate, and without the project they can't pay me that rate.

I was offered a job on the new project, on the basis I'd work part time on the new project and part time in the bike shop, but be paid as if I was working full time on the project. However that project is very different and involves looking after under 18s which I'm not qualified to do and from experience I'm cr*p at.

That's a bit long, but hopefully it's clear that it isn't the employer being difficult, just the flip side of the way this sector is funded.

My boss did in fact apologise profusely for the situation, and offered to call some other local organisations on my behalf to give me a verbal recommendation. He has made it clear that he would like me to stay but can't in good conscience ask me to remain under the new conditions.

How long is "a while" that you will stay on the lower salary? For example, 1/2/3 months? Have you set a time limit?

Basically until something turns up. I'll stay because it's better than being unemployed and there are still things I want to achieve.

I've applied to a couple of places already and when I go back to work next week my boss will give me a reference to for future employers. I'll find something eventually, and this time it'll be something in my pay scale, even if it won't be quite as fantastic as what I'm doing now I'll certainly enjoy it.

The sad part is that this will hit my clients hard: they're not yet stable enough for such a change and they don't have any options.

 

[annedonnelly]

Oh no, that's an awful situation. Obviously you can't stay in an under-paid role but when/if you go all your hard work in the shop & workshop might be undone by the next person and it'll have such a bad impact on your clients.

 

[fossyant]

If you continue, I'd cut my hours so you've opportunity to work else where, they can't expect you to do the same hours for such a cut.

 

[Andy in Germany]

If you continue, I'd cut my hours so you've opportunity to work else where, they can't expect you to do the same hours for such a cut.

This is one of the options. I have an interview next week in a local organisation for a 50% position, also working with people with psych. issues. If they show interest I'll present this to my boss and see what he says.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Oh no, that's an awful situation. Obviously you can't stay in an under-paid role but when/if you go all your hard work in the shop & workshop might be undone by the next person and it'll have such a bad impact on your clients.

This is my main concern; if they bring someone in who can fix bikes but not people, it could go badly for my clients.

Part of the problem is that the system hasn't caught up with the reality: I officially work with people who are long term unemployed; in theory this means people with qualifications who have to work with us for a few months while they find a job. In practice people with qualifications who are healthy can find work relatively quickly, so the people we get tend to have psychological issues, addictions, or social issues, and working with these clients is not something just anyone can do.

 

[Reynard]

Not much to add to what else has been said here.

Sending and hope that things do get sorted out.

 

[sevenfourate]

Not great news at all Andy

IMO we go to work and sell our time. And in this life; 'time' is all we ultimately have. Therefore i don't sell my time (Away from the more pleasurable things; family, hobbies, rest, holidays etc) cheaply.

The trouble is with a well-paid job more often than not comes with responsibility, stress and often more hours. So the whole cycle becomes self defeating if you're not careful.

NOT any easy balance (And one i haven't got right now.....earning good money in mid-to later life; which is awesome for the pension) but probably facing more stress than is healthy and the same regarding hours worked to complete the duties expected.

Again....not easy - and i hope you go on and achieve the right sort of balance. Best of luck my friend.

 

[Jameshow]

Hang in there it's the nature of the beast in our line of work.

Is there any other income streams they can harness? Grants, lottery funding, business social responsibility? Healthcare?

Can you become an OT or a bike mechanic so as to demand a higher salary?

Just a thought

You will get through it.

I remember brainstorming funding ideas several times where I work!

 

[Andy in Germany]

IMO we go to work and sell our time. And in this life; 'time' is all we ultimately have. Therefore i don't sell my time (Away from the more pleasurable things; family, hobbies, rest, holidays etc) cheaply.

The trouble is with a well-paid job more often than not comes with responsibility, stress and often more hours. So the whole cycle becomes self defeating if you're not careful.

I understand what you mean, although as is probably obvious I love my work.

On the other hand I do have a fair amount of responsibility if you add it up. The problem is that the company can't afford to pay me the going rate for this amount of responsibility, and I can't afford to take the financial hit.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Hang in there it's the nature of the beast in our line of work.

Is there any other income streams they can harness? Grants, lottery funding, business social responsibility? Healthcare?

Can you become an OT or a bike mechanic so as to demand a higher salary?

The organisation is working on other income streams like sponsorship, but the boss is pretty good at that sort of thing and if there was something he could get to work immediately he'd have started it by now.

I'm licenced as an Occupational Therapist; I don't know how this works in the UK or US but there's basically a table for every industry showing what people should earn. I'm in a certain band in social care, taking into account how many years I trained and what my responsibilities are et c. This is generally the same regardless of my employer, but in the case of this organisation they can't currently afford to pay me anywhere close to what the table shows. They are hopeful that the situation will improve; they were doing well until a certain virus turned up, and they're getting better again now, but it's a long shot.

 

[tribanjules]

Write a book !

 

[sevenfourate]

Write a book !

Would never sell. No one would believe it.

Sell under the Fiction heading maybe ?