Working more unpaid hours than paid... - General - HR in Schools and Academies

4 Working more unpaid hours than paid...

15 May, 2018 11:07

Hi,

This is outside my area of expertise so would like to understand what allows this particular situation, from an interest perspective more than anything.

A colleagues family member applied for a teaching/training position at a private training firm, who deliver courses at a college, but from what she understands they aren't affiliated with the college - more just use the location as it were.

The delivery of the course is 3 hours per week - these would be paid.

They have advised at the interview that the role would include roughly 10 hours a week marking - this would be unpaid.

I've never come across a role in which the expectation for unpaid hours be over 3x the paid, so how does this work? Is it because it's loosely related to education and the company are stretching the requirements of unpaid overtime reasonableness?

Many thanks,

Laura

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Steve Bridger | 0 Posts

Community Manager

15 May, 2018 11:10

??

I hope she didn't take the role. Isn't that taking the proverbial...?

I assume the paid rate is between £20-£30 / hour?
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Keith | 0 Posts

15 May, 2018 11:11

This is likely to fall foul of the NMW requirements (unless the hourly rate is very high).

Its common in education to work unpaid hours but not X3 paid hours
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Laura Fazackarley | 0 Posts

15 May, 2018 11:22

Thank goodness you both said that! I thought it was just me....

At the moment, she's awaiting the outcome of the interview. I don't know the hourly wage (I'll see if I can find out) but NMW concerns did occur to me.

If the hourly wage is so high as to average out correctly over her 13 hours a week, is it excuseable? Like I said, I've never had anyone ever raise this sort of scenario - let alone the fact its regular, unpaid, over 3x the number paid, overtime hours.
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Keith | 0 Posts

15 May, 2018 11:29

In reply to Laura Fazackarley:
Excusable? That's a value judgement. Probably not the way you set it out but...

If the deal was say I will pay you £250 a week and for that you have to do 3 hours of direct teaching and around 9-10 hours of marking (and I do wonder how three hours of teaching and homework can equate to that much marking every week). Then that sounds reasonable and I could make my decision accordingly.

They are being very upfront about the time requirements so as long as they comply with the NMW requirements its down to your friend as to if this is the role she wants , if it gives her great skills and development it may well be. If its just a professional job being paid at NMW rates then probably not.
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