working at summer camp for rubbish pay- rights?

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Rachaelpink

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I'm finishing working in a school end of this month as going to uni to do a PGCE. I did the summer holiday camp at my school then last minute on Monday I was rang by another company I'd applied to (a summer camp) and asked to come in first thing in the morning and for the rest of the week as a play leader. I asked the rate of pay they didn't know off hand and were going to email me it and the contract Monday night. Got the contract infact this morning after I'd already started work in an email but didn't get to open it till I got home.

Basically the pay is rubbish, far less than I expected, fractionally over minimum wage and for that I get no breaks and have to manage a group of young kids and lead activities. I'm going to go in tomorrow but say to them first thing that I no longer want to work Thurday or Friday as after tax it's not worth my while. I haven't yet agreed to the terms of employment as I haven't agreed to the contract.
Presumably they have to pay me for today and tomorrow? I haven't given them my bank details or agreed to anything. Also the email asks me to spend 4 hours of my own time doing online training!
 
You have agreed to the terms of the contract by starting work, regardless of if you have actually seen the contract.

If it meets minimum wage, and adheres to law on breaks, you shouldn't really be that suprised in my opinion. Tough it out for the experience and money (what do you mean it won't be worth it after tax?) or give the required notice period. If you don't, don't expect to be paid.
 
I have nearly four yrs of experience working with kids so the experience isn't vital to me and I've already got on to the PGCE course. I worked summer camp last wk and got paid £9.32 an hour so to be then paid £6.65 and expected to do more with no breaks away from the kids seems unreasonable. I wasn't expecting the same amount but more than that for the experience and qualifications I have. I mean after tax I won't get much especially because it will be classed as a second job.

Presumably I've worked the hours so they have to pay me though?
 
If you break the contract by leaving without giving sufficient notice, they may well decide not to pay you - whether that is right or wrong in the eyes of the law I'm not sure, but its fairly common, and in reality there isn't much you can or would be likely to be prepared to do about it, in terms of going down some legal route to get the money from them.

Presumably you fall into the 20% tax bracket. If your tax free amount has been allocated to, and used up by the first job, I would imagine you would be paying a flat rate of 20% on earnings in this job, regardless of what amount you earn.

May be worth a chat with the employers tomorrow, to see if you can negotiate a better rate. Advice on employment law is also available on the CAB and government websites.
 
You must talk to them . Tell them in no uncertain terms that what they are offering is unacceptable. They are a business ,they make money off people like you.If they have someone to replace you who will work for peanuts ,well good luck to them. But I bet they havnt.Tell them what you expect and be prepared to walk. Dont work for less than your worth.
 
You are legally entitled to a break every 4 hours... But this is no doubt a short term gig so if you argue they'll just find someone else. They do have to pay you. You have not agreed to the terms of the contract as they were not supplied so at the moment you are working without a contract. Technically you should be paid at the end of each day -- and it's your kindness/agreement that allows anyone in any job to be paid at the end of the week / month. If they don't pay you, do you have any proof that you worked??? Cos the only way you can get your money then is small claims court...
 
Thanks for replies. I think it is twenty minutes every 4 hours but anyway I spoke to them this morning and said it's not enough and the manager was quite understanding and spoke to the head office about the 4 hrs online training so don't have to do that and today was my last day as it's a set rate of pay. Don't think their looking for anyone else. The person who dropped out probably found out what the pay was before I did! No getting up at 6.45 am tomorrow, I can enjoy the start of my summer hols!
 
Working time directive is a 20min break every 6 hours. To be honest unless you are qualified which I guess you are not, this is the sort of rate for this type of work.
 
Rachaelpink said:
Thanks for replies. I think it is twenty minutes every 4 hours but anyway I spoke to them this morning and said it's not enough and the manager was quite understanding and spoke to the head office about the 4 hrs online training so don't have to do that and today was my last day as it's a set rate of pay. Don't think their looking for anyone else. The person who dropped out probably found out what the pay was before I did! No getting up at 6.45 am tomorrow, I can enjoy the start of my summer hols!
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To be honest there's people that would be queuing to get a job like that, I know I would because quite frankly ANY job is money at the moment & with a university overdraft to pay off that's exactly what myself (& a lot of other people need!)

Whereabouts are you based I'd do it!
 
xxMozlarxx and jenki13 it's in Lancashire, your quite welcome to do it! I have a degree a postgrad certificate etc so not exactly underqualified for working with kids, hence getting on the PGCE course. I realise a lot of people would love to do it but their quite picky about what qualifications you have to have to do it then underpay you, and if you've worked hard to get those qualifications then you expect more. Also before had any experience with kids I got paid more per hour in my first job working with kids.
 
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Hmm, see in the current climate I wouldn't expect more than that... but then in the W.mids there are really no jobs... Its taken me almost 3 months to find even part time work (thats not starting till sept) & I expect I'll get minimum wage.

Hence the slightly curt/angry response at the "its not worth it" comment which seemed to me to say "I have a degree so I have a right to be paid more" which doesn't cut it.

Unfortunately Lancashire is too far, else I'd be hoping with my 7yrs (on/off) of teaching/coaching kids i'd stand a chance of getting work & in something that would be good experience for what I want to do aswell!
 
Surely working for a minimum wage is better than sitting at home claiming the dole? Maybe you are not better off, but by the sounds of it, the job is only a short term thing? Work for not much versus daytime T.V? I know what I would choose!!
 
jenki13 said:
To be honest there's people that would be queuing to get a job like that, I know I would because quite frankly ANY job is money at the moment & with a university overdraft to pay off that's exactly what myself (& a lot of other people need!)
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Well said.

At the end of the day it's a job, it's paying you, and gives you an occupation for the summer.

Sometimes the benefits of actually doing a job that's potentially fun and rewarding can far outweight the low salary.

What will you do for money over the summer - taking a slice of my well earned salary through the dole??
 
Look at it from an employers point of view: you went for an interview without asking about the pay, and accepted the job and started it without knowing all the ins and outs, but you are an experienced [intelligent] employee, so you should have known enough to ask at the interview, and at that stage you could have negotiated the hourly rate.
The employer had a job to offer to someone at the minimum rate, and when you applied they were delighted to take you on as you were the best suited to the job, your experience and qualifications led to your interview, and at the interview you showed them you could do the job they had to offer.
I think you were previously very lucky to have had any temporary job at a rate higher than the minimum, they are in short supply, most of them are like the one you accepted.
Your future employers will want a c.v. stuffed with experience, and if they see you spent one summer doing nothing they will be less than impressed.
Some jobs are tougher than others, to be honest, you are better working through this difficult phase, you have to look at the bigger picture, every job teaches you something, and in this case, it is a valuable lesson.
 
Having worked in schools for the last 20 yrs I can promise you that you will need a break before starting pgce.
Put your feet up - you'll be working till you're 67! :p
 
Off this posting: I am now almost 65, and I work manually, it is not easy to do manual work when the bones are creaking, but to be honest, I started work when I was 13 [Saturday mornings]
At age 17 I was full time working pupil, [£4 a week all found].
At College, I had no money, so I got a job on Wednesday afternoon plus Saturday and Sunday, when I left I got a full time job in line with my new qualifications.
In those days, I don't remember ever having a time when I did not work, I did not think "I am so clever, I don't need the money!"
 
urgh - what a horrendous attitude. If you ever apply for a position at my school I will not be employing you. What sort of a role model are you going to be for the pupils in your care? Blood boils. I hope the summer camp isn't really stuck now.
 
If the op can afford to have time of and the period as a holiday then who are we to begrudge her.
If however the op is expecting the tax man to support her while she picks and chooses then that is a totally different matter!
 
A lot of you obviously haven't properly read my post, I still have a full time job I'm not claiming the doll! I finish that then immediately start my PGCE but as I work in a school I'm off for the summer. That's why I said I'd be getting taxed more! I've worked hard to save up money before doing the PGCE, not that it's any of your business. And it was a very temporary post as in less than a week. I was called in at the last minute, as in phoned me up 5pm Monday evening and started Tuesday morning without an interview. I've already done overtime working the summer hol camp at my last school on top of mu usual wage and missed several weeks off my summer holiday already as I chose to do extra work and this was further extra work.
 
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Rachaelpink said:
A lot of you obviously haven't properly read my post, I still have a full time job I'm not claiming the dole! That's why I said I'd be getting taxed more! I've worked hard to save up money before doing the PGCE, not that it's any of your business. And it was a very temporary post as in less than a week. I was called in at the last minute and I've already done overtime working the summer hol camp at my last school on top of mu usual wage.
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I apologise, I had entirely missed that.
 
Disagree op was fully entitled to apply for the job to find out if she wanted it! Job vacancies are an invitation to find out more if you were only alloud to have a job because you needed the Money how many would have to give up their jobs and a lot of these would be our most skilled workforce! Op only mistake was not to find out the salary at that job application but no harm done as the vacancy is available now for someone who really needs it!
 
MrsD123 said:
I still think you are showing an undesirable attitude, you did not need to apply for the job if you did not want it or need the money....that would have left the job for someone who wanted it and needed the money.
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No, I don't agree - now I've actually taken the time to properly understand the OP.

Part of making an application for a job is to find out whether you actually want it or not - and that quite often only happens when you get to interview stage. Whether she needed the job or not is irrelevant - and if there were that many good candidates turned down after interview, there will be no problem filling the position now that she has left.
 
Would have hoped someone with degree and intending to do PGCE course could spell! "their quite picky" doesn't impress.
 
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