Page 7 - ELG2205 May Issue 480

TRENDING
Seasonal work warning

Does your summer job add up? asks Melanie Butler

anguage Travel giant EF is advertising “Most teacher salaries are well above
for UK non-residential summer school minimum wage,” he emphasised, adding,
teachers at “Minimum wage + benefits”. “I can confirm that work outside of ‘teaching
L Gazette research has found, though, that contact hours’ is paid.”
the ad on a well-known job site made clear that Paying only for teachers’ contact hours is
“Salaries vary across all sites”. probably the biggest minimum wage trap that PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK
Fixed-term contracts citing a salary which language schools fall into. Legally, working
turns out to be minimum wage have begun to time includes all time a worker spends at the
appear (see opposite). However, this is the first work premises and is working or is expected to
summer school ad openly offering minimum be available for work, as and when required.
wage rates seen by the Gazette. But non-residential summer schools one full-day excursion alone could take the
We contacted the EF press office to find seem unaware of this. Take the ad for non- teachers’ earnings below minimum wage.
out more. The spokesperson who responded residential teachers offering just under £13 an Ads for residential workers can be even more
said the company followed “all of the relevant hour for 21 teaching hours in the mornings misleading. Many schools simply state a fixed
UK wage and labour laws” and actual hourly over a five-day week. The teacher can expect salary per week, which sounds OK compared
rates vary according to the teacher’s location, to earn just under £273 a week. Under to the competition, but which is not based on
qualifications and experience. minimum wage law, for that amount, schools the number of hours to be worked at all. For
can require staff who are aged 23 or over to be example, one school is offering £431 a week for
Legally, working on the premises and available for work for 28 teaching a 15-hour week with an unspecified
hours and 45 minutes.
number of hours of afternoon activities and
time includes all time However, the ad goes on to state other duties full-day excursions thrown in.
How do we know that this salary is not
a worker spends at the which will “include supervision of afternoon related to hours of work at all? Because 431 is
activities and full-day weekend excursions”,
work premises plus teachers being required to attend evening a prime number and so the only numbers it can
activities on a rota. No hours are given, but be divided by are 431 and one.

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editorial@elgazette.com 7