[lucky8]

i have just started a new job and have waited WEEKS to start. I was over the moon as ive been unemployed for agess.
Only i started this week and only now is the reality of it all creeping in.
You see the job is home care. The job in general is good really easy and ive met some loverly people. But its the pay . Dont get me worng i didnt go in with my eyes totally shut i knew there wa sa hourly rate of £5.96 Not much but i needed something.
ONLY in the light of day u dont get a running rate of £5.96 like through a shift. ill tr and explain.
today i worked 7am till 7pm wich is 12 hours but because im only paid for the half hours im in the homes ill only get paid for 8 hours work as im not ppaid for travelling time or breaks, even tho im still technically within work time. And if you divided it out over the 12 hours i would be gettin much less than minimum wage per hour. And the days are very long driving back and forth also ther is NO FUEL ALLOWANCE so we are expected to fund the fuel. i have fulled my tank 3times in 4 days its making me broke and ive worked out what my income would be and out goings r much more. and thats just on basic neccessitys. Rent etc.
I so down as the people really like me but im afraid id be working to work and id get in to arrears this has happened in past. more hours isnt the answer as id be out loitering a 60 hour a week for 40 hours pay it really does suck. im only 4days in and i know i need t act noe before it gets to late.
i know people will read thin n think its a job etc etc but ive spent most of my bit savings just on refuling my car.
All i want is to work and bring back a wage that will cover my bills and a bit extra to save like anyone else , seems ive jumped in and got my self stuck in a right rut

[fillupthesky]

i'm sure you're grateful to have a job right now, but it does seem to be a little tight. i'm not sure what the wage affords you (not too good with exchange rates and such), but it doesn't sound like much.
some things to consider- is it possible to move up within the agency (promotions, etc) quickly? how often do they give raises?
if yes, it might be worth sticking it out for a while if there is possibility to move up and make more money in the (near) future.
if not, you can look for other work while you're employed. i know it's not the best to leave a position right after you begin, but at the same time, you have to look out for yourself.

[beerab]

Your post was a little hard for to understand so I think I understand what you are saying...

Keep looking for another job- it's always easier to find a new job when you already have one IMO. If an employer asks why you are leaving just be honest- that you can't afford to drive your car that much without fuel compensation of some sort.

I don't know how the UK is but I don't get paid during my 1 hour lunch break. You can also bring lunch with you and eat there so you don't travel on your hour off. And most people don't get paid to drive to work and from work to home so if your shift was 8 am to 6 pm you wouldn't get paid for the hour it took you to get there and get back. I mean unless where you drive to changes daily? Or am I missing something?

All in all unless your car uses a ton of gas aren't you going to be making more money working than not?

[lucky8]

Originally Posted by beerab

Your post was a little hard for to understand so I think I understand what you are saying...

Keep looking for another job- it's always easier to find a new job when you already have one IMO. If an employer asks why you are leaving just be honest- that you can't afford to drive your car that much without fuel compensation of some sort.

I don't know how the UK is but I don't get paid during my 1 hour lunch break. You can also bring lunch with you and eat there so you don't travel on your hour off. And most people don't get paid to drive to work and from work to home so if your shift was 8 am to 6 pm you wouldn't get paid for the hour it took you to get there and get back. I mean unless where you drive to changes daily? Or am I missing something?

All in all unless your car uses a ton of gas aren't you going to be making more money working than not?

i go round peoples homes and visits are any thing form a 15mins to anhour and i have to travel form home to home and can be out all day only i only get paid for the time im in their home . Yes i thort i wud be better off but looks like not ill be lucky if i scrape £550 per month id be very lucky/
It sounds hard to believe but even ive been so devistated by it, but the expense to do the job and the low wage just out weighs everything if i done this job and paid the fuel the way its going all my rent councial tax would lagg behind. Ive jus getting meyself debt free this year
I did a goverment income budget calculator and with what id be paid and what id pay out thers over a £100 down fall

[fitbyforty]

If having this job is costing you more money than you make keeping it doesn't make sense.Find something new asap.

[Gogirl008]

Originally Posted by lucky8

I did a goverment income budget calculator and with what id be paid and what id pay out thers over a £100 down fall

So, are you saying this job is actually going to cost you money?! I can see how that might be the case. I know here in the US the home health care jobs are terribly low paying and most of them don't pay for gas/milage either. It sounds like the scheduling isn't done very well either if they have you scheduled to actually work 8 hours over a full 12 hour shift. I understand that a lot of that would be your drive time but that's terrible! At several agencies in my community they make an effort to schedule the clients and locations close together so that you can get from one home to the next in 10-15 minutes, but even then the pay is so low I don't know how people do it. It's important work too! I have heard people say that they learn how to work the schedules, planning personal errands and such between clients. But that may not be a solution for you if you find that you are loosing money.

As fitbyforty said, maybe finding something else is the best option here.

[Expunge]

That sounds awful. They definitely need to be providing compensation for fuel for you - it's really ridiculous they don't. Especially considering fuel over in the UK is substantially higher than in the US (though the gap seems to be closing...).

I hope you're able to get things figured out!

[tamara72]

I did the same job as you and although I really enjoyed it It wasnt a job that could pay the bills. If you enjoy working with the elderly or with people with learning disabilities it is better to work within a home or a unit where you get steady shifts and a regular wage and also get the opportunity to do your NVQs and mandatory training certificates.