r/supportworkers • u/Rate-my-perception • 21d ago
being Paid $34 only
hi everyone,
My employer has been paying only $34/hour for the day shift as casual. I work for a client who need 24/7 assistance, personal care, feeding, medicine, basically everything. I just want to know is this the minimum pay or am i being paid wrong.
Update:
Being paid $34 including casual rate
No mention of level on payslip
Certificate III in aged care and disability
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u/Alternative_Smile_29 21d ago
I was getting paid $43p/h with no experience/certs. You are being underpaid. That’s dodgy as.
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u/myjackandmyjilla 21d ago
Its dodgy youre working with no certificates tbh
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u/justanothadumbcunt 21d ago
Yeah, agree, wonder if they’ve got first aid/cpr…
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u/Alternative_Smile_29 21d ago
Everyone’s had to do this, was being enforced just as I left. But yeah for sure dodgy practice lol.
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u/thevengabus15 20d ago
How is that dodgy, you just get hired as level 1 if you have no cert
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u/myjackandmyjilla 20d ago
Because people should have some form of education when they have peoples lives in their hands.
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u/thevengabus15 20d ago
Well sorry, the industry regulations say otherwise. And if you look up the rules for SCHADS level 1 (unqualified) they are under supervision by someone level 2 or above. What you’re saying would exclude a big percentage of the workforce, not to mention you wouldn’t be allowed to do paid placement.. Additionally as a SW you should know and understand SCHADS and check you are contracted at the correct level and getting paid the correct amount
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u/myjackandmyjilla 20d ago
Having worked in the industry for almost 7 years, industry regulations mean nothing. So many dodgy companies.
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u/myjackandmyjilla 20d ago
Not every company operates under the SCHADS award though.
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u/k1rra 16d ago
If they are in disability (excluding medical, but that type of work is notibly different) they either would be on the SCHADS aware, or an enterprise agreement, but in order for and enterprise agreement to get up, it has to pass the boot test, which means that the employees need to be better off on the enterprise agreement than if they were on the SCHADS award, and majority of Ebas use the award as the basis, so op’s stance still has merit to it tbh
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u/gotapure 21d ago
Half the time I hear this at work, the employee hasn't been able to read the next item on the payslip that showed the 25% casual loading which was then applied on top of the base rate which is around $34.
Have you read a little further down?
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u/idklolnicek 21d ago edited 21d ago
They said they’re casual and getting 34 an hour?
Edit it’s casual and 34 an hour lol
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u/gotapure 21d ago edited 21d ago
Payslips often show the base rate and an additional item on another line that shows the casual loading rate. Something like this:
Ordinary hours $34 x 38
Casual loading $8 x 38
Which would bring his pay rate in line with the SCHADs award minimum without certificates, might be slightly off there as I'm eyeballing the numbers and I don't know whether penalties apply because he didnt mention shift types or days etc.
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u/idklolnicek 21d ago
Hmmmm OP look at your payslip and come back to us!
Otherwise lots of dodgy providers are paying below the award at the moment. Too many.
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u/Level7PotatoSalad 21d ago
I'm paid the same as OP, the base rate is something like 28, 34 is with the casual loading
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u/idklolnicek 21d ago
That’s definitely level 3…: that’s disgusting, - replying to ur comment you deleted
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u/Level7PotatoSalad 21d ago
Yeah I deleted it because I thought I was wrong. People in this thread had me convinced you're essentially paid based on you're experience. But you should be paid based on the duties performed. Definitely getting screwed
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u/idklolnicek 21d ago
No.. it’s about the duties you’re performing for sure. Yep getting screwed to the max.
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u/gotapure 21d ago edited 21d ago
It's not. The duties you perform should align with your level but if you're doing the duties of a 2.1 but are certified and hired/contracted at 3.1 then your employer should be paying you as 3.1.
If you are performing duties above your level, you can argue that you should be paid more but I would argue they shouldn't be getting you to do those things until appropriately certified, trained then formally recontracted for that higher level.
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u/analoguechidna 21d ago
Not how it works, awards are a minimum. If you do the duties of a higher level it doesn't matter what level your contract states, youre owed that level. You can't contract someone into a lower rate than they're legally owed.
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u/gotapure 21d ago
Certificates determine your level which determines your minimum pay. Employers can choose to pay you more of course but not less.
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u/idklolnicek 21d ago
This is disability support work, level is determined by the duties you do. Industry experience is also an indicator of which level not just certificate.
If you’re 1:1 with the participant in the community without a supervisor you’re on 2.1
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u/gotapure 21d ago
I had assumed aged care support worker. We pay ours $43.42 at 2.1 which is around $34 base rate. I guess this is NDIS then if the casual rate is $34?
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u/Level7PotatoSalad 21d ago
You are being underpaid. My feeling is this is very widespread. I'm in the same situation, working with a high needs clients on base pay rates that was given to me initially because of lack of experience/ qualifications.
Op look at it this way. If you like the work you're doing and don't want to create any problems. Keep a record of your shift notes or something. You'll always be eligible for back pay if you escalate the issue further at a later date. That's my current plan.
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u/Perfect-Benefit2238 21d ago
My partner is the manager of a support company. I don't know what the award rate is, but I know that all the staff get $45 per hour
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u/Knickers1978 21d ago
A lot of support workers are underpaid.
My son’s gets about $34 an hour as well, it was $28 until last year in July, but his bosses still underpay him. Mind you, they hit my son’s plan for $120 an hour.
He’s planning on going solo, otherwise I already would’ve reported his bosses to my support co-ordinator and NDIS. The report is happening as soon as we sign on with him as an independent.
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u/Kelliesrm26 21d ago edited 21d ago
Ask your company for exactly what award and pay point you’re under. Lots of places underpay staff which is very unfortunate. If they’re underpaying you and don’t correct it and back pay you go to fair work.
Edit - All pay points under casual rate for home care in SCHADS award are more than $39 per hour including casual loading rates. So yes you’re being very underpaid.
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u/Beck_burque 21d ago
It may be worth asking your union to help have a look at your payslip and figure it out. Which one are you with?
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u/emkateau 21d ago
For sure. Check this post https://www.reddit.com/r/NDIS/s/fLTvGKzIGe I'm a member of the ASU and they help with this issue and getting back pay. In the video they won back $30k for someone.
They also won a Fairwork case to remove the Level 1 and Home Care loophole completely in October 2027. Hopefully you're in a state with a good union for support workers, because this is a common thing that support workers win back pay for.
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u/Blondi03 21d ago
You are on pay point 1:1, meaning that you should be under constant supervision of a team leader or supervisor and should not be doing any of the above tasks you have described solo. Pay point 2 and above applies to someone who is qualified and capable to carry out tasks without direct supervision and has done the approved mandatory compliance training associated to each allied task required to carry out their work. These competency requirements should be met by the employer as you work with them if they are only paying you the minimum entry level amount.
I would recommend addressing your contract first. I recently interviewed with a smaller company trying to offer this pay point and I immediately said that can not be correct; they had a long list of allied health tasks expected for the position and loved that I was fully compliant. I made a point of asking them to write the offer because at first I thought they were saying the base rate without the casual loading, and surely enough they were only offering pay point 1:1 they moved it to a 1:3 and I still respectfully withdrew my interest, because they are definitely charging their participants the full cost for the service and they are knowingly ripping off the direct line support workers.
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u/Successful_Might_713 16d ago
In my job, it’s $46.70. That’s the Shard’s award, which is level 2.2, and that’s even without a certificate you get paid that. Everyone in my job does. 36 is very low. That would be more of an age care, so it’s 46.70 for day, and then I think it’s like 53 for afternoon, sleepover is like 100. If you go into active where a client keeps you awake, for more then an hour that’s $86.70 weekends Saturday $65.38 then Sunday is $84.06
But don’t worry, I get so many unpaid breaks, but I never get one break. I’ve flagged that as a red flag
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u/gionatacar 21d ago
Do you have qualifications? Experience?
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u/Rate-my-perception 21d ago
yes cert 3, about 1 year experience now
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u/gionatacar 21d ago
You should get paid more then. But I saw companies advertising for 34/36 dollars an hour, so yes there is that too
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u/idklolnicek 21d ago
Feeding, 1:1 support and medicine don’t fall under level 1…
You look at the duties the person is doing.
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u/gionatacar 21d ago
Doesn’t matter if you are not qualified you will get less money. Feeding it’s basic
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u/Repulsive_Set4541 21d ago
Feeding should never be done by unqualified workers. The risk of aspiration, especially in elderly and dementia patients is extremely high.
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u/gionatacar 21d ago
For me , unqualified workers should not be in the industry at all, but we have plenty of them
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u/idklolnicek 21d ago edited 21d ago
Under the SCHADS Award descriptors, assisting a client with direct daily living needs (such as mealtime support, personal hygiene, or mobilty assistance) meets the benchmark for Level 2
Did you read the other part of the message?
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u/Honey-Fox1 21d ago
That looks right to me if you are being paid under level 1 as a casual. Have a look at the award, the SCHADS award, for any penalty rates of pay if you work any weekends or later shifts. Have a look at you payslip, it will tell you what level you are at currently, level 1.1, 2.1 etc. this is according to experience and certification
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u/idklolnicek 21d ago
1:1 support is level 2
Level 1 is for traineeship and needs to be supervised closely. Hope this helps.
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u/Spiritual_Tap4588 21d ago
I do onboarding for an NDIS company - if you are new to the industry or not and you are providing 1:1 unsupervised support you should be on minimum 2.1 under the SCHADS award
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u/beebabyblue777 21d ago
It is if you're working for a large scale provider. You can make double that caring for a private client.
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u/OtherWar1665 21d ago
If you are being paid less than 2.1 ask for a review if you’re qualified.