Salary Package Information
Salary packages come in all shapes and sizes depending on your
situation and needs.
Employers be up front and detailed about your job description.
Make sure the jobseeker goes in with their eyes open.
You are paying a person to be a role model and responsible for
you children.
Jobseekers
you are accepting a job position based on the description
including the salary package and should put all your effort into
meeting those requirements. Before accepting
email loads of questions, write notes on phone calls and ask for
a written description of the job and salary or copy the job advert.
Governesses getting a recommended
wage should be putting in 100%. A fair days pay for a fair
days work.
It is HARD to find jobseekers when you are not paying a fair wage... If you pay peanuts you will get monkeys... and they will be jaded monkeys once they start doing research on fair pay.
It is HARD to employ a governess that doesn't put in a fair day's effort in meeting the job description that is agreed upon at beginning of employment.
EDITED 8 November 2018
CONTENTS (Scrolling down you will find the following)
-
Glossary
-
What should I be playing
-
Fringe Benefits
-
Terms OF Employment
-
Job Descriptions and Contracts
GLOSSARY
-
Package Value – Value of Gross Salary plus Fringe Benefits and extra
-
Gross Salary – the gross amount of money agreed upon as a weekly payment not including fringe benefits
-
Fringe Benefit – an extra received each week adding value on top of the gross salary
-
Keep or board – accommodation, utilities and basic groceries provided.
%20(Custom).jpg){kind=logo}
WHAT SHOULD I BE PAYING?
This is an age old question which I have been asked many times. There is no right answer. It depends on the number of children, jobseeker experience, what extras will employers provide, hours worked and a whole lot of other variables. When developing the below information I have tried to take into account the In Home Care regulations.
We recommend all In Home Care positions should be paying
a minimum gross salary of $800 for a 40 hour week (or a minimum
or $20 per hour) which includes prep and
feedback time. On top
of this figure will be board/keep and any fringe benefits which
you can supply.
We recommend all wage earners should be paying a minimum
gross salary of $700 or should be based on the Pastoral Award or
a Private Enterprise Agreement.
2016 gross wages as advertised on the JobBoard range between
$600 to $950 for 1 to 3 children for a 40 to 50 hour week.
Many have fringe benefits on top of this figure increasing the
value of the package.
Governess
Most employers pay up to 5-6 weeks holidays through out the
employment period from late January to early December.
Salary options for school holidays
Employers pay from the start of employment in January to the
end of employment in early December. There are several
options below for paying through school holidays, with the
majority of employers providing some form of payment during
the term breaks.
Possible
Option 1: School Holidays will be paid at 75 or 50% of Weekly Salary or IHC part.
Option 2: School Holidays will be unpaid.
Option 3: School Holidays will be paid.
Option 4: 6 weeks School Holidays are paid. (This may be paid as a lump sum at the end of year)
Option 5: End of year bonus will be paid for employers staying to the end of year.
Option 6: School
Holidays will be paid at a full rate if worked or
negotiated rate for taking time off.
Option 7: School holidays paid as absences on In Home
Care timesheet, up to 45 for 12 month period.
Other Facts:
-
The Child Care Subsidy family hourly rate cap for In Home Care is $25.48 per hour in 2018 - 19.
-
An IHC place is equivalent to 35 hours of subsidised care per week per child.
-
I realise not all employers can meet these targets and all I ask is to do your best. Be honest with your job descriptions so as to not deceive the jobseeker. Jobseekers must willing to put in the same effort and flexibility. This is not just a job not a working holiday.
FRINGE BENEFITS KEEP and other EXTRAS
KEEP: Accommodation, Water, Gas & Electricity: what is its value?
- Caravan, flat, donga or 1 room facility : $30 per week
- Self contained Cottage or House - not shared: $50 per week
KEEP: Food: what is the value?
Be clear on this topic. What does it cost to feed one person per week? Is the employer supplying all or only some food? Is the governess cooking or the employer? What about cleaning products? Will you reimburse dockets or supply? Have you considered doing up a master shopping list of what you will supply?
Potential Pay or Supply Options
- Employer reimbursed docket for all cleaning products, main meal and healthy snack foods.
- Employer cooked 2 meals week days
- Supply or reimburse - basic food and cleaning products (Vege, meat, all ingredients to make breakfast, lunch and tea, house cleaning products)
- Supply meat grown on the station, vege, milk and bread deal (they pay for everything else)
- Meals (morning tea and dinner) at main house
- Meals according to arrangements negotiated
Internet:
Many families provide free internet usage in the schoolroom.
Possible options
-
Internet and computer in schoolroom
-
Limited Internet and computer in schoolroom
-
Access to wireless internet for a small fee eg $20 a month
-
Telstra Mobile Reception – BYO Wireless modem
Phone:
Many employers are on set rate plans for both local and long distance and provide those free.
Possible Options
- Phone (local calls and rental) – you pay long distance
- Phone within reason (will be discussed further on employment)
- All phone calls
- Telstra Mobile Reception – Blue tick phone encouraged
- Putting in a Telstra Smart Antenna to get mobile reception around house and governess uses own mobile.
Fuel:
On the subject of fuel I have experienced all situations. Many
employers can claim fuel and are more than happy to provide it
for free.
Possible Options
-
No fuel supplied
-
Fuel supplied for school events with the children in the car.
-
Fuel supplied for school events with or without transporting the children.
-
Fuel supplied from station pump every time leaving the station for social or work purposes.
-
Fuel supplied at a reduced rate per litre to pump price.
-
200L drum of fuel supplied per term for social purposes.
-
Tank of fuel supplied when leaving for term holidays.
These things can make a huge difference to a governesses expenses living in a remote location. While employers don't add them necessarily as a value on Salary Package, jobseekers need to take into account.
TERMS: Hours of work? Flexibility?
We recommend that the average is 40 hours based on an 8 hour day. This includes other jobs or tasks performed at the employers request, not just contact hours with the child. It does not include help with dishes or cleaning tables and other common curtesy jobs when an employer provides a meal or a treat.
Governesses working over 8 contact hours with the children will not be as fresh each day and may as the year goes on get tired and struggle with their position. Feedback and preparation will take about 60-90 minutes a day usually a governess will arrive in the schoolroom a 20-30 minutes for the day starts and leave after feedback/preparation is finished.
No matter how much we love our work family it is important
for everyone to have space to remain fresh.
Both parties need to give each other the space they need but
still enjoy the unique relationship that they have.
All governesses need to be FLEXIBLE
and be prepared to care for the children in emergency or non
regular situations. However, if something is happening on a
weekly or fortnightly basis then it needs to be included in
the Job Description.
Non regular or emergency situations may include medical
situations and annual station activities not performed each
month or week.
TERMS: What does their job entail?
Is it mainly supervision in the schoolroom and preparation work for that OR do you require some care after school hours with bathing, etc. Does it require gardening, cooking, help on property?
Once again … DOES IT REQUIRE MORE THAN 8 to 9 hours of duty? Remember as a governess you need to be flexible.
The more jobs you have outside the 8 hour school day the
more fringe benefits you cancel out. Personally after
15 years of governessing and childcare work I have no
problems doing outside work as long as it specified at the
start of employment what I am expected to do on a weekly /
daily basis.
SAMPLE OF A
JOB DESCRIPTION and CONTRACT
Use this document to make your own…
GovAust Agreement - Duty Statement - Contract - Guidelines for a
In Home Carer or Governess
