Why Is Welfare Money Crap

Hello

Just wondering (not expecting answers) why us welfare workers are paid crap money as i mentioned in a previous thread i did a casual shift at the D&A rehab the other week and i the money i earnt on a hourly casual basis was less than what i earn an hour in my permanent job???? :confused:

I know i dont do this job solely for money - i do it because it is challenging yet rewarding and no 2 days are the same and i love working with a vast range of people from different walks of life - i dont want to come across that im whinging as i absolutely love what i do and i would go back to the rehab in a heartbeat if the opportunity ever arose. :rolleyes:

It just makes you wonder how they work out what is a reasonable rate of pay i know at the rehab i was under the SACS award and here i dont know what the award is but its a lot more. :confused:

But i suppose i will never be wealthy with $$$$$$$ but i am wealthy in other areas of my life and once again must say i love my job and wouldnt want to work in another area again - been there done that and have worked hard to get where i am and who knows what is around the corner :)

so three cheers to all you underpaid and overworked welfare workers :) :) :D

It all comes down to where the money comes from. That is the problem.

My first job was sacs 5 which is really high for a first job (usually that's 4 year uni course plus 2 years practice and independent control of work in terms of responsibility). I had 4 year uni course (social work) and significant relevant experience.

Most of the people I worked alongside at that time in other organisations who I thought were senior in experience to me were level 4 max and most often level 3's.

When the pay depends on a government funded program, the tendency is to consider who can we hire to do the work for the least pay... given wages are the main cost centre in most programs. So organisations ask for funding for lower graded positions to help win the funding.

The reason why they can do this is supply and demand. There is an over supply of people applying for welfare jobs. So they know they can get funding for a position that really is a level 5 and hire someone at a high 3 or early four to do the job.

The larger part of the sector works this way, but I have no doubt what so ever in saying the few organisations that do focus on hiring the best and paying their staff well (from one city to another to another) - they are always the stand out organisations in terms of effectiveness, they always get the best workers.

So the problem is where the money comes from. If a program is government funded, likely it's lower paying. If the funding is via donations and the charity is healthy and strong in it's fund raising base, there you can get better wages.

But really, the problem in this 'job market' is supply overwhelms demand.

Hey Domonic,

Well thanks for that - you enlightened me and how true. Good old Government hey!!!! What do they get paid????????

have a good day

I know you guys should be earning top $$ for that kind of work really.. some of the stress in D&A environments, s

stress in D&A??? who told you that!!! LOL only joking - jeezo there sure is - understaffed - under resourced etc etc - but as ive mentioned before i loved it all. I am quite an emotional person so also shed a thousand tears and often took "work" (not clients) home with me - still learning to care without letting clients in - but hey i will get there and i dont want to be one of those horrible heartless service providers - ive always said if i ever stop caring i will resign - i think you need a heart in this industry.

Hey PP tha'ts great ive met some great nurses service workers in my travells..;) ya need a sense of humour thats for sure,

True but sometimes it's a very sick sense of humour. :D

Konstantin

P.S. I think having a strong union and a limited pool of workers(through licensing) also helps with the wages. Before we got serious about unionising our pay rates were pretty crap.

Hey Skeet,

i have a great sense of humour - can be sick and warped at times but i think i am funny hahaha.

I tossed up between nursing and welfare - went the welfare - might do nursing one day just AIN or EN - i dont know - the world is my oyster!!!!!

Konstantin,

Yeah i think you have to band together when you are working with people and especially at times the difficult people - i think it is our sense of humour that keeps us sane (well almost sane)

Hey PP sick and warped is fun lol.....Hey why not do EN! My friend is an EN she said for me to do it.... :eek: But i duno..i cant stand blood :rolleyes: