North Lanarkshire
Lots of readers have been in touch about the strange position of Home Carers in North Lanarkshire.
Apparently there are two grades of Home Carer – Grade 1 and Grade 2 - which are paid quite different rates.
According to the council the duties and responsibilities of the Grade 1 carers - are less demanding than those of their Grade 2 colleagues.
But many carers (of both grades) say this is simply not true – that the two categories of carer often share the same clients and do exactly the same work.
In other words, that the two grades of Home Carer are effectively inter-changeable – in many, if not all cases.
So how can a big difference in people’s pay be justified?
Now we don’t know the answer – but we’re happy to help people find out – because it may be that the council can’t justify this difference in treatment.
The starting point – for Grade 1 Home Carers is to ask for a copy of your Job Description – and for details of how your job was evaluated and scored - under the council’s Job Evaluation Scheme (JES).
We will put a model letter on the blog site for people to use – and once you get an answer, we can discuss how to take things forward.
The unions, of course, are nowhere to be seen on this issue.
The unions are completely compromised by their previous behaviour in North Lanarkshire – where they oversaw a reorganisation of the Home Care service several years ago – but said nothing at the time about the significance of equal pay.
So watch this space.
Apparently there are two grades of Home Carer – Grade 1 and Grade 2 - which are paid quite different rates.
According to the council the duties and responsibilities of the Grade 1 carers - are less demanding than those of their Grade 2 colleagues.
But many carers (of both grades) say this is simply not true – that the two categories of carer often share the same clients and do exactly the same work.
In other words, that the two grades of Home Carer are effectively inter-changeable – in many, if not all cases.
So how can a big difference in people’s pay be justified?
Now we don’t know the answer – but we’re happy to help people find out – because it may be that the council can’t justify this difference in treatment.
The starting point – for Grade 1 Home Carers is to ask for a copy of your Job Description – and for details of how your job was evaluated and scored - under the council’s Job Evaluation Scheme (JES).
We will put a model letter on the blog site for people to use – and once you get an answer, we can discuss how to take things forward.
The unions, of course, are nowhere to be seen on this issue.
The unions are completely compromised by their previous behaviour in North Lanarkshire – where they oversaw a reorganisation of the Home Care service several years ago – but said nothing at the time about the significance of equal pay.
So watch this space.
