Most underpaid profession?

mrkidd85

What profession do you think earns far too little considering the work they do?

I'd probably say social worker, teacher or hospitality staff.

[Deleted User]

I'll look at my wife's profession - A&E nurses. They need degree level qualifications. They work very long hours, under high pressure with people's life in their hands. They may only receive very short breaks as part of very long shifts too.

The salary for management level (e.g. senior sisters) is barely any higher than other grades. In a comparable profession (e.g. Air traffic control) they would be earning £15k more and treated a lot better. Imagine working 3 shifts in a row (37.5 hours) and having 1 1/2 hours of breaks during that. Don't forget the potential for assault by patients, needlestick injuries and the effects of working night-shifts.

mrkidd85

Can't disagree with you there mate.

The worst thing - nurses probably see people die regularly, but have to get on with it. A tube driver sees one measley dead body and they can sign off with stress,

Torry_Quine

I'd add care workers who often are on minimum wage or just above. They work long hours in often very challenging situations.

[Deleted User]

mrkidd85 wrote: »

Can't disagree with you there mate.

The worst thing - nurses probably see people die regularly, but have to get on with it. A tube driver sees one measley dead body and they can sign off with stress,

My wife is an exception (and she's now a senior sister - 1 sick day in 8 years), but a lot of her staff take a lot of sick leave. Most of them have a brutally dark sense of humour to deal with the dead people. Death doesn't actually happen as much as you expect in A&E really

I make 50% more than her, deal with no bother from the general public, have as much break time as I want and only a few people die if I do my job wrong It's quite unfair really

InsideInsurance

mrkidd85 wrote: »

The worst thing - nurses probably see people die regularly, but have to get on with it. A tube driver sees one measley dead body and they can sign off with stress,

But firstly the tube driver probably doesnt see the body but is the one that has killed the person. Not often will a nurse actually kill someone.

Secondly there is things that are part of the job and things that arent. Someone going into nursing will know they are going to see people die with a moderate regularity, its part of the job. As a tube driver you rarely ever will.

My former BIL had 3 jumpers in 20+ years of tube driving - admittedly he did somewhat wish he had more but thats another matter.


Personally I do agree however that nurses are one of the most underpaid professions given both the work they do and the training to get there in the first place.

Is hospitality a profession?

elsien

Care workers. The ones looking after your relatives, doing all the messy jobs no-one else wants to do, with long shifts in understaffed homes for very little thanks on minimum wage.

lulu_92

ringo_24601 wrote: »

My wife is an exception (and she's now a senior sister - 1 sick day in 8 years), but a lot of her staff take a lot of sick leave. Most of them have a brutally dark sense of humour to deal with the dead people. Death doesn't actually happen as much as you expect in A&E really

I have a friend who was a 111 operator and she told us some horrible stories about people who died on the phone or shortly after receiving medical attention and she said you have to make light of it to get through the day. Could you imagine how much harder the job would be without that approach?

phill99

Care workers are paid a pittance yet undertake some work akin to nursing and look after our parents and grand parents. And then the national is shocked when thete are allegations of neglect and abuse.

marleyboy

Nurses, Fireman, Police and even the Army are severely underpaid for the work they do.

RuthnJasper

I think nurses should be among the highest paid. Quite apart from the job, they have to contend with often inept yet highly-paid management and IT systems.

Also anyone whose job it is to run towards danger in order to help others whilst the majority are running away.