Sick Pay

I'm not *complaining*.

Do we as a collective not think that our profession deserves contractual benefits like sick pay? It's something most office workers get. Considering we work in a germ rich environment its likely we are going to be more susceptible to getting ill. I worked in a doctors/dentists surgery once and caught Swine Flu - lovely.

It might be a laughable matter to some people but in my opinion this is just something we should expect as a minimum. Our wages are low enough so benefits such as these are a great addition to perhaps a lower wage than you have come to expect.

I appreciate there are nurses out there who do not get sick pay, I am not bragging. I am simply asking the opinion of whether my employers METHOD of telling me it is being reduced was the CORRECT way to go about it and whether another nurse putting themselves in my position would take any particular action?

Jeez, it wasn't an invite for you to all jump on me and tell me I should be counting myself lucky. We are supposed to be caring and empathetic people with the desire to help and nurture - not green eyed monsters.

Hi i have worked in different pratices ,and have found it very common for you to get no sick pay at all , unless you are aware of what you are entitled to.

This thread makes me laugh.

Someone on here wrote that Aldi checkout operators earn more than a quailfied Dental nurse.

If I'm not getting a decent wage, sick pay, etc....I'm outta there. Why should I bust my nut for patients who speak to me like dirt, spit on you, moan and whinge because the Dentist is running late/ off sick again......sorry but for what I'm paid...as long as I'm safe and meeting rules/guidlines on health & safety, emergency life support and meeting the requirments set by the GDC then Dentists and patients can stagger.

Harsh I know but after 16 years I can't GIVE anymore.

I am always very impressed with people who can stay in a job when they know they could likely get better terms, especially for the patients bit. I do love my patients and they make my day really, but I'm of the thinking that - OK, great pt's. But essentially your forgotten half an hour after they leave the clinic - Is such a small impact on some ones life worth working in a professional role for the wages a filing clerk can get? I guess I just have a much more prominent "id" than some.

fifi

count yourself lucky, i have been qualified longer get paid less no sick pay and work more hours. if i was you i wouldn't be complaining.

hope that doesn't sound too harsh but please understand that you are believe it or not one of the more fortunate ones

you are probably wondering why i am at the practice i am....i enjoy my job 90% of the time have some really great patients.

I only work within the NHS (hospital, CDS, etc not general practice) as I know my conditions will be alot fairer and my pay is generally better.

Personally I think your lucky getting sick pay. At our practice we don't get any no matter how long we've been here and we're all on pretty low wages!

I was amazed when you said you got 6months paid and paid lunch breaks!!!

God my pay is so low compared to everyone else.. I have to say though my boss pays for my registration and he pays for my dental nursing magazine which gives me all my vcpd. I moan a lot about pay and holidays to him but he is a good boss in the long run. But if dentists do read this he will recognise my password, so if my boss is reading this. Still not happy about the hols though.

But any way did they take a vote on this and can they do this without you agreeing.

My sister who I have maybe mentioned before works in business and she says that they cannot change your contract without your approval. Have you singed a new one yet. Dont. Go to the C.A.B. There advise is free.

I seem to be telling every one to go there. But I have used them a few times and they are so good. Although I think that 6 months was actually pretty bloody good to have got that. That I think is actually pretty long. You were lucky to get that in the first place. Fight to keep it I dont think you will get any better. Three weeks full and three weeks at half pay is all I get.

Wow everyone seems to be having a tough time at the moment.

Your employer can not change your contract without your agreement very easily. It can be done but there are all sorts of misc things to do. See -

www.worksmart.org.uk/rights/can_my_emplo...hange_my_contract_of

Even though I completely agree with your logic in requesting a better pay rate and I would do the same in your shoes, I do not feel you will be successful. After all, ask why are they changing these conditions of employment? It seems fair to assume that they are aiming to reduce costs by only having to pay statutory sick pay after 3 weeks rather than full pay for 6 months. I see this as a potential cost, seeing as how sickness is not guaranteed to occur - your pay however is going to be a definite increase if a rise is given. If I was in there shoes I would see this as asking to swap a possible cost for a definite one, which is probably completely against there aim - to cut costs.

The huge problem many employee's face over the next 5 years is that every company now has a great excuse to cut benefits and not give raises - "We are coming out of a recession, we can't possibly..." and adding to this we may be going into a double dip recession, you can make that 10 years.

I'd like to know how you get on though, and good luck.

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Anyone?

Hi Guys,

Thanks for reading my thread.

I was just wondering how much sick pay you guys get (if any) from your employer?

Before I went on holiday in the beginning of August '10 I got 6 months full pay sick pay as part of my remuneration package as well as having paid lunch breaks. I however was unable to negotiate my required hourly pay to what I wanted when I started but as the remuneration package was pretty good I decided to accept the wage and the job. This was at the beginning of the year.

I have been working with the company for 5 months now. After coming back off of my holiday my manager was on her holiday but I was informed informally by another nurse that whilst I was away at our monthly practice meeting our sick pay had been reduced from 6 months full pay to 2 weeks!! No consultation, no official letter - we were just told.

Now I accept that we are still in a recession and that times can be a little hard for a independent NHS/Private DP but we work in a fairly rich profession where dentists earn a good amount of money and already work on what most consider a low wage considering our duties. So I am finding it hard to accept this considering I already started with a low salary.

So I was wondering what you guys thought to me sitting down with my manager when she gets back to discuss a pay rise? I have been nursing for nearly 5 years and I am qualified, I have a wide range of skills including high end cosmetic and implant dentistry. I currently get £8.50/ph working 40 hours a week - 10 hours a day for 4 days and Friday off. At my interview I asked for £9.50 an hour but because of the remuneration package accepted £1 lower (quite alot for us nurses I would say?).

Now that the sick pay is dramatically decreased and I'm now facing the prospect of having to fork out for income protection (along with all the other girls at my practice) I think they should be expecting a few conversations like the one I want to have?

Please let me know how you would proceed girlies I appreciate professional and personal imput!