Being Asked To Pay Upfront For Holiday Cover

GalwayGirl26

Hi.

I'm working in a summer school for the few weeks. Their policy is that if we need a day off then we leave the work to be covered and the pay for the substitute you bring in. So they will pay you as normal for that day and you hand over the cash for the sub.
I'm taking a weeks holidays and was talking to my boyfriend about leaving a weeks wages for the sub, when he pointed out that I will lose money by doing this as I get taxed on my wages. Does that make sense? (I'm so bad at finance )

So, what can I do? Can I refuse to pay for my cover in cash? Or can I leave the amount I will receive after tax?

Triceratops Ballet

your bf is right, you will lose out financially by doing that, you're also creating a situation whereby the sub is "employed" by you rather than the summer camp.
I'm not sure on the legality of it but it sounds very dubious to me. I'd give citizens info a call and explain the whole situation and see what their take on it is.

It sounds very bizzare to me. Why can't they just pay you holiday pay, or pay the person directly?

GalwayGirl26

Thanks for your reply. I didn't even think about it.
They said it's to make it easier for their accounts department I think?

Triceratops Ballet

I'd definitely be questioning them more on this, and I would be very reluctant to go along with it.
Does this mean that you have to find the sub and pay them out of your own pocket? so essentially they don't even know who you're bringing in, it could just be any randomer (not casting aspersions on your judgement but I would hope a summer camp would be vetting people a bit more stringently than that).

Mrs OBumble

I'm quite surprised that a summer camp is granting you any annual leave at all, tbh.

GalwayGirl26

No, they call in the sub, I just leave work and wages.

gandalf

I'm assuming you're an employee and they take care of PAYE, USC and PRSI for you and you get paid the amount less these taxes? If that's the case then it is up to them to pay whoever replaces you and not you.

If on the other hand you work as a sub contractor and get your wages without any taxes deducted then this makes perfect sense.

GalwayGirl26

No, I work for them and pay tax on my wages.

Uncle Ben

Who pays the compo if the sub has an accident or worse still, abuses a child for example. I've never heard the likes of it, and by the way you may be entitled to holiday pay yourself. Look up the appropriate act or have a word with NERA.

Mrs OBumble

Uncle Ben wrote: »

Who pays the compo if the sub has an accident or worse still, abuses a child for example. I've never heard the likes of it, and by the way you may be entitled to holiday pay yourself. Look up the appropriate act or have a word with NERA.

For a summer school job, I'd expect the holiday pay to be 8% of earnings, paid at the end of the contract.

Uncle Ben

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

For a summer school job, I'd expect the holiday pay to be 8% of earnings, paid at the end of the contract.

Agreed, but I'd wager that all is not right with this employer and the op should check it out in full, rather than wait and work until D Day and then get told to get lost.

TheDoc

Sounds like the employer does this to avoid some hits to their revenue based on tax etc.

As said above, if you are employed by the summer school and pay the relevant taxes, you shouldn't and don't have to hand over your wages to this sub. The employer needs to be paying them directly.

Sounds like a cheeky way for the employer to save on costs and avoid certain responsibilities

Mrs OBumble

TheDoc wrote: »

As said above, if you are employed by the summer school and pay the relevant taxes, you shouldn't and don't have to hand over your wages to this sub. The employer needs to be paying them directly.

I agree.

But I expect that the OPs right to take leave will be cancelled the moment s/he says that's what's happening.

TheDoc

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I agree.

But I expect that the OPs right to take leave will be cancelled the moment s/he says that's what's happening.

OP seems to have started the thread in the premise that he/she won't accept paying for holiday cover, and want's to take those holidays.

If that substitute encounters any injury or issue while taking your place, they will be off the books essentially and have no cover. And as you are the one paying them, could be grounds for you being liable, as you as essentially sub-contracting.

On that ground alone I wouldn't be comfortable doing what the employer has asked.

what I would say OP, is that you have mentioned you will be working for this place for " a few weeks". So you probably have no actual entitlement to holidays. A summer school is as it says on the tin, a facility operating for up to 12 weeks during a year. Did you advise the employer that you will be taking a weeks holidays before taking the job? What notice did you provide?

Can appreciate the employer might be a bit pissed off a member of staff who is probably only contracted for a few weeks, wants to take a weeks holiday.

Are you going abroad to something booked? If it just " a week off" why not work the week for more cash and do something when the work finishes up, and not lose out on a weeks pay? Your not entitled to any statutory holiday pay from what I imagine is a very short term contract.

The employer is probably leveraging this in a way that it's silly for someone to come on board a short term, season specific employment, to then take a weeks leave, but at the same time doesnt mean what the employer is asking is correct or right.

GalwayGirl26

Thanks for all the replies! I'm taking 6 days off for a wedding abroad; I let them know before I started working there.
It's the same policy for everybody; you want a day off, you pay the sub in advance. This is just leading a lot of people to call in sick the morning of, but I couldn't do that for 6 days!

TheDoc

GalwayGirl26 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies! I'm taking 6 days off for a wedding abroad; I let them know before I started working there.
It's the same policy for everybody; you want a day off, you pay the sub in advance. This is just leading a lot of people to call in sick the morning of, but I couldn't do that for 6 days!

Sounds mental.

Is there a risk that if you get uppity about it, they will just let you go and have someone in replacing you quickly?

uck51js9zml2yt

Did you get a contract?
Did it mention holidays. ?
You are entitled to 8% or 1.6 days per month paid leave.
This thing of you paying the sub is ludicrous.

GalwayGirl26

I don;t know if they could replace me tbh; there'd only be a couple weeks left after I came back.
No contracts.

Stheno

GalwayGirl26 wrote: »

I don;t know if they could replace me tbh; there'd only be a couple weeks left after I came back.
No contracts.

Is this in Ireland?