Not so sweet charity!

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A few weeks ago, while I was considering finding an alternative to supply teaching work, I received a phone call from a social care agency, who asked me if I was available for work and presented me with a couple of "opportunities."

Eventually, after a few more phone calls, during one of which, a consultant from that agency suggested how much better off I would be working all the year round and not just during term times. I attended two interviews, was offered and accepted a placement working for a locally-based charity, at a specific rate of pay.

Then the trouble began! A couple of days before I was to have started, I was told that there were forms that had not been completed. That put off my starting. Then the evening before another date that had been set, I had a phone call about the agency's not having the required references. After some hurried phone calls, I got the go-ahead.

The next thing I did was to make sure of the agreed rate of pay and was given a significantly lower figure than had been agreed. More phone calls followed and I got an agreement on the original rate.

So, I got to start work for the charity. That was 4 weeks ago. Now, I thought the problems were over, but bigger ones were coming. The agency referred me to a payroll agency, which I signed up with. These payroll agencies handle the wages and the employee, me, becomes a limited company, with supposed benefits in terms of tax and expenses. All well and good I suppose, except that I was supposed to be paid weekly. I haven't been! I have received one week's wages and today again nothing paid into my bank account.

The irony of all this is that the manager of the office where I had been working decided that I was "too expensive," that the amount paid to the agency was too high.

There is indeed some irony here in being told I am too expensive when I am not even being paid! Both the agency and the payroll service are saying it's the other's fault. I am "too expensive," but having to consider taking legal action to get paid. How ironic is that?!!!

If anyone in the Warwickshire area would like to know which social care agency and which payroll service, please leave me an email address in a comment. I will not publish your details.

There are certain things I hold to be self-evident, one of those being that I go to work, I do the job, I get paid. When this does not happen, I feel somehow abused.