I work in media and work for a company on a day rate, I work via an agency who originally got me the booking and that was 5 - 6 years ago. I do not work there that often though - I do very short bookings usually one week at a time and freelance in total about three months of the year.
Two years ago I decided to ask for a rate rise and the main reason for this was because I had not had one in about four years and as you all now inflation happens and all our bills and costs of living increase. I succeeded in getting my pay rise.
Unfortunately though I really had to kick my feet in the air to get this day rate rise - not because the company so much didn't want to pay more but the agency that I work through was pushing back on it and didn't want to rock the boat. They argued that when you look at the day rate I earn toted up for a full year I earn more than a full time employee but my response to this was
1. I don't work there full time - I work there very randomly when they are essentially in need of support especially those times when they are up tulip creek.
2. I actually do holiday cover for these permanent members of staff so essentially it is a supportive role for them (so it is kinda a benefit for them that they don't have to cover themselves for their holidays)
3. No doubt permanent members of staff has a long list of benefits that I do not get
4. They get annual pay reviews for sure and we do not know the discussions that go on behind closed doors or the pay rises that are agreed on. I hope they all get what they deserve but I cannot really comment on that.
Of course, as soon as the increase was approved though the agency were singing off a different hymn sheet.
And in the past two years, I have started to think about things differently. Why did I have to kick up such a fuss just to get a standard pay rise? If I didn't ask I think I would still be on the same rate at 5 years ago. How can they think that this is ok and just keep people on the same amounts for 5 years which is essentially a 10% reduction in real terms.
Why doesn't my agency look at this annually? It is now exactly two years since I have had a rate rise and I am going to ask for another one but I want to go about it differently this time. I intended to ask for this again after one year but it slipped my mind!
Any other people working in a similar way ongoing for a very long time via an agency
? How often do you have rate reviews?
Two years ago I decided to ask for a rate rise and the main reason for this was because I had not had one in about four years and as you all now inflation happens and all our bills and costs of living increase. I succeeded in getting my pay rise.
Unfortunately though I really had to kick my feet in the air to get this day rate rise - not because the company so much didn't want to pay more but the agency that I work through was pushing back on it and didn't want to rock the boat. They argued that when you look at the day rate I earn toted up for a full year I earn more than a full time employee but my response to this was
1. I don't work there full time - I work there very randomly when they are essentially in need of support especially those times when they are up tulip creek.
2. I actually do holiday cover for these permanent members of staff so essentially it is a supportive role for them (so it is kinda a benefit for them that they don't have to cover themselves for their holidays)
3. No doubt permanent members of staff has a long list of benefits that I do not get
4. They get annual pay reviews for sure and we do not know the discussions that go on behind closed doors or the pay rises that are agreed on. I hope they all get what they deserve but I cannot really comment on that.
Of course, as soon as the increase was approved though the agency were singing off a different hymn sheet.
And in the past two years, I have started to think about things differently. Why did I have to kick up such a fuss just to get a standard pay rise? If I didn't ask I think I would still be on the same rate at 5 years ago. How can they think that this is ok and just keep people on the same amounts for 5 years which is essentially a 10% reduction in real terms.
Why doesn't my agency look at this annually? It is now exactly two years since I have had a rate rise and I am going to ask for another one but I want to go about it differently this time. I intended to ask for this again after one year but it slipped my mind!
Any other people working in a similar way ongoing for a very long time via an agency
? How often do you have rate reviews?
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