16th March 2006, 07:12 PM
I worked a 2 week contract last year as a site assistant with a unit and was paid an enhanced hourly rate in lieu of paid leave. I suspect this could be the same unit that Mercenary alludes to above.
The letter I received offering me the job explained the terms in full. Checking against the BAJR pay scales the pay rate, excluding the holiday pay, was within the BAJR "Site Assistant 2" range, which was quite correct for the position I was being offered. The enhancement rate was also correct for the equivilent of 4 weeks paid holiday per year for a 37 hour working week. The letter also pointed out that leave could still be taken but that it would therefore be unpaid as "paid leave" had already been accounted for in the enhanced hourly rate. I didn't feel that it was a 'fiddle' in any way. I thought this quite reasonable for a short contract. For a very short contract like the one I was doing it seemed particularly appropriate to ensure the project was as fully staffed as possible for the duration of the project.
On talking to longer serving members of staff I was told that the system came about as a result of contract diggers at the unit asking for a more manageable way of being paid for leave.
The letter I received offering me the job explained the terms in full. Checking against the BAJR pay scales the pay rate, excluding the holiday pay, was within the BAJR "Site Assistant 2" range, which was quite correct for the position I was being offered. The enhancement rate was also correct for the equivilent of 4 weeks paid holiday per year for a 37 hour working week. The letter also pointed out that leave could still be taken but that it would therefore be unpaid as "paid leave" had already been accounted for in the enhanced hourly rate. I didn't feel that it was a 'fiddle' in any way. I thought this quite reasonable for a short contract. For a very short contract like the one I was doing it seemed particularly appropriate to ensure the project was as fully staffed as possible for the duration of the project.
On talking to longer serving members of staff I was told that the system came about as a result of contract diggers at the unit asking for a more manageable way of being paid for leave.