Strategic Footprint

So a wage bill of nearly £10 million and for what?
How is this justifiable?
Where is the return?

Also is that a wage bill or employer cost, which if not adds a factor of 50%-90% onto the salary … I know it made me gulp when it was explained to me. It “costs” around £51000 to employ me if all the additional costs were attributable. So that would mean if these are just pay figures the true cost would be between £15 Million and £19 Million.

I would imagine there is a massive disparity between the salaries of E1, E2 and those “in charge” of them, which would mean it would be impossible to calculate an average salary.

I remember talking to our (former*) WExO trying to recruit an E2 - i recall him saying the salary was ~£15-17k he was frustrated as they were not getting the “right people” applying claiming if you pay peanuts you expect monkeys! - ie the right person wouldn’t work for that wage.

I think he said E1 was a little over £20k? WExO are £30-35 right?

*so out of date but 5 or so years

yeah, still the same rates about 4months ago…

Our WHQ admin bods invariably work p/t as they are mums with kids at school. Many administrative jobs are filled by people like this and employer’s know they can get away with paying next to nothing or nothing like the job should be worth and it makes the job permanently part time, so only paid pro rata.

One of the problems with paying more to the lower grades is that the higher grades expect more which just pushes the wage bill up, with no determinable benefit, except you might actually get decent people applying.

We haven’t had what I would call a decent admin bod at WHQ for many years.

Its not an RAFAC problem - its a broader civil service issue. I recently saw a GCHQ advert for senior software developers. They were offering £26k. A small software house where i live had a starting salary of £35k. You’ve got to love your country a lot to take that kind of pay cut… especially given house prices in Cheltenham!!

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I took a massive pay cut (75%) when I moved to the civil service from private practice, but on the plus side no one expects you to do more than the normal 9-5 on a regular basis(except when trying to make last minute changes to a Bill after the minister changes his mind the day before laying) so I actually see my family and have time to do more than the bare minimum with cadets. Nothing to do with loving my country lol

To be fair, I’ve done the same twice. I get a far better work life balance in the civil service and local government!! Even better with LG as i’m not blowing £3k per month to stand on a train to Londinium 3 days a week!!

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Maybe that’s a problem that needs to be rectified. I wouldn’t know a regular day if it bit me on the backside.
I’ve had dealings with LG and get past around 4pm and I’m sure they put the answerphones on that eventually direct you to a phone in a soundproof broom cupboard and close email.

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many of ours have been forces wives, getting a local job near the base their husband works at for his 2/3 year stint

That’s not the problem, that is their contracted hours; 37 hours a week for full timers. If you work more than your contracted without additional pay more fool you.

Whilst I agree that salaries are not brilliant as a CS. I am sure I could earn more in the big wide world but I wouldn’t get a better work/life/Cadet balance doing anything else.

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Needs of the business and customer trump everything.

In exceptional circumstances we can get TOIL.

Different people have different priorities on a work life balance and most ultimately end up at an employer who shares those priorities (or at least allows them to operate in that framework). You’ll nearly always need to make a sacrifice between job satisfaction, work life balance, and salary but different people want different balances.
viva la difference

Looks like the drawdown is starting…

I wonder how many more stories we’ll seep in the coming months?

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A lack of suitable OC is a terrible excuse to close a unit…

There are 3 Sqns in my wing run by SNCOs/WOs

There should have been consultation, perhaps a Sector Commander could have supported the WO who becomes OIC etc.

There must be more to this than in the story, perhaps the OC Wing will provide a comment to allow for fair journalism :joy:

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I’ve already seen a similar story on a well know Facebook group populated by cadets who know they’ve been cadets too long.

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It would be interesting to see how many, and where, squadrons have closed in 2017. Heard our Region has lost at least one from four out of six Wings.

From that page, it looks like 2391 and 1218 squadrons will close this month…

Only if they can find someone who wants the job though.

You would think that with 11 remaining members of staff at the squadron, someone could be found to babysit the squadron until a suitable replacement could be sourced?

And 99% of the time they can, which is why squadrons don’t normally close just because the OC leaves.