Referendum pay rates

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121973377#Comment_121973377

What electoral area were you in. I wonder does it depend on the number of people on the register.

Big Bag of Chips

I'd prefer not to say my location but I know a few presiding officers and poll clerks across the constituency and all were paid the same rate (Presiding Officers all paid same. Poll Clerks paid same) regardless of the numbers on their specific register. I'm certain there are very much bigger constituencies than ours.

smallgarden

I got €546 gross as a presiding officer according to revenue. I haven't received it into my bank yet. I wonder why some have got a higher rate as presiding officer

digidy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121972560#Comment_121972560

Yep & getting pretty annoyed at this point. Did a cash deal on some trade work at home. The work was completed a couple of weeks ago & I'm not in a position to cover the last few hundred. It's making me look like a chancer. Getting a cash price & then leaving them hanging for the last few ton.

They were decent & understanding last week with it being a short week. But now I'm taking the piss.

digidy

Its a decent few quid more tbh.

If they pay for the Training too then it will work out a few hundred more than Presiding Officer.

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974030#Comment_121974030

It's a month since the vote and less than 3 weeks since expenses were submitted. Add to that 2 bank holidays . Payment this week isn't unreasonable

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974050#Comment_121974050

It's 48e for training.

reactadabtc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974054#Comment_121974054

Payment for services rendered should be prompt. The week after the vote isn't unreasonable, a month absolutely is unreasonable.

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974181#Comment_121974181

So no time for them to correlate data, input it and do a bank transfer then !

reactadabtc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974187#Comment_121974187

No reason it's not automated - typical public sector though with not being efficient.

1992ChainGang

I don’t overly mind but particularly considering outside of Dublin were paid last week and we were specifically emailed to say we would be paid today and no communications to say otherwise it’s a bit unfair on us, and they’ll be relying on us to work again in June and the general election.

Even an email with an apology it’ll be another few days etc would be appreciated

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974192#Comment_121974192

Ive worked in public sector payroll. I know exactly what's required to process hundreds of random people, some of which might not even turn up on the day. You obviously don't know what's involved and and just making rash accusations.

SouthWesterly

Im outside Dublin. Got paid this week.

digidy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974063#Comment_121974063

Yeah, it's supposed to be about €24 per hour. The only reason I wasn't sure was coz some peoples Training took 2 hours but others took an hour.

Tbh I think our Trainer just gave up.

Like mine was an hour, but that's because the room was full of clowns & I honestly could see half them turning up.

No joke. After spending 20 mins explaining how there was no Campaign material allowed within 50 metres of the Polling Station, and more importantly how we weren't to sway people's votes, shouldn't know which way people voted, or even mark blind people's votes, and in general how we shouldn't influence or know the outcome of anyone's vote, she then asked were there any questions. The first question was from some chav who asked "will we be giving out badges saying I voted YES or NO".

So then it had to be re-explained that firstly she wouldn't know what way anyone voted, & secondly there wasn't to be any campaign material within 50 metres. So there was no reason for badges.

Which then started her into a tirade about how her friend got a purple badge somewhere before, but she wanted a pink one. So we should really hand them out.

Which then took us back to the 50 metres law, & not being allowed know how people voted.

And this conversation went around in circles.

And that wasn't even the dumbest question asked.

I was in there as a Presiding Officer & got a call promoting me to Supervisor first thing the next morning. So it definitely wasn't my imagination about how dumb the room was.

digidy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974054#Comment_121974054

Yeah, but they got it down to a solid 2 week in recent years. Even the South Dublin By-Election during COVID was done in less than 2 weeks.

I've done every Referendum, National & Local Election, Presidential Election, etc in past decade or so. And apart from the first one it's never gone over the 3 week mark.

But another issue is the calibre of people. They've always been great applicants who stay on year on year.

This year was a bit of a mess & loads of them didn't even turn up. I got a call at 8pm Thursday evening looking for people, & again on the day I got another early morning call needing people. Even another Polling Station called me because they were 2 people short.

That's never happened before. It used to be a position that candidates were lining up for. And it was a privilege to get your name in the list. I'm talking even in recent years.

So if they leave people waiting on payment, then thats more people that won't want to bother doing it again.

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974385#Comment_121974385

They had 2 bank holidays which is effectively 3 working days less to process pay

digidy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121974406#Comment_121974406

The first time I ever did it they took months to pay. Not even exaggerating.

After that it was 7-10 days.

But I originally got it through my Brother & his Wife. They stopped doing it because they are both Civil Servants & the payment method. changed for them.

It used to be all Teachers & Civil Servants, and nobody else got a look in. It was really difficult to get into.

For some reason Teachers stopped. I'm not sure why. You still get the odd teacher but they're mostly retired.

Civil Servants stopped because they stopped paying them directly afterwards like we would get paid, & instead it gets paid into their Pension.

So they have to take a day off work, then it goes into their Pension which they won't see for decades. Which makes it a waste of time really.

There used to be a rule about Retirees not being allowed do it once they hit Retirement age, but that seems to be gone now. Coz one Station I worked at had nearly all Retirees as Presiding Officers.

Right up until 2019 or 2020 the calibre of worker was still very good. It was still difficult to get someone on the list, & the only new faces were older people getting their kids involved.

Suppose I did the same by putting my kids down for it.

Even the South Dublin By-Election was still good candidates.

But after that it changed from the Sheriff's Office in Temple Bar to the Office on Fitzwilliam Square, & the quality of candidates completely changed. This time around people just didn't seem to care about it. The Office were taking any names you gave them.

I put one person forward. But it was someone I really trusted & knew wouldn't let me down. Anyone I was unsure about I just didn't mention it to.

But as I said, that Training was embarrassing.y guess was probably half weren't going to turn up.

It was always about doing a good job & getting yourself on the list going forward. Then maybe getting other like minded people on board.

I don't know what changed.

Dodge

Civil servants get paid the same way everyone else does. It absolutely does not “get paid into their pension”. Whoever told you that was spoofing

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121975507#Comment_121975507

You beat me to it.

What most civil servants miss is getting it tax free.

smallgarden

Anyone know why some presiding officers got €546 and some got €714

Seems a big difference 🤔

Do you get more the more experienced you are

Is the training tax free. I'm not sure if I'll get a training allowance as my training was via the videos and manual and nearly an hour over the phone as I was appointed late

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121975683#Comment_121975683

Training is taxable. I didn't get deducted for prsi and USC.

digidy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121975507#Comment_121975507

Well I know they are both Dublin based Civil Servants, working in the same Department, & were doing it for years. That's how i ended up doing it, along with a few of her family members they put forward.

Their mate was the main point of contact in the Sherrifs Office for years. So anyone they put forward got it.

Then a few years ago when they both started working in the same Dept, they stopped as they no longer got paid & it was put into their Pension.

Maybe it's the particular Dept. they work with. It's not like it benefits me to make that up. They worked the Elections for years & introduced me to it. They both did Elections & she did Counts too.

And I've worked every single Referendum, Local & National Election, Presidential Election, etc in the last decade or so. I've gone from Polling Clerk, to Presiding Officer to Supervisor.

As I said, wtf would I make that up for?

In fact her father was just working the last one, as was I. Buv in different locations. And 2 people didn't turn up at his Station, so they were calling me to see if I could get anyone over as their were a few students at mine who had people on speed dial.

As I said, maybe there's different rules in certain Departments, or it's their particular area. I don't know.

But they didn't stop out doing it out of choice. It just wasn't worth them doing it under those circumstances.

In fact, as we've seen here in this Forum there has been different Rates paid for Presiding Officers & Supervisors, etc in different areas. So obviously there are different rules in different areas.

And up until only a few years ago Retirees over a certain age couldn't do it anymore, which is no longer the case. There's no age limit now.

So, there are obviously different rules in different areas.

And again, why the feck would I make something like that up? It's not like it benefits me.

If I have a master plan, please feel free to fill me in.

digidy

Btw got paid at midnight so happy days.

Only paid about €3 in USC & that's it. Rest was untouched by Tax.

Which gives me an idea regarding people getting different Rates for Presiding Officer.

By any chance did they work out the Gross Payments so that Officers cleared a set amount? So that it was PRSI free? Meaning paying more or less in some cases, so they all cleared the set amount?

To my knowledge there are just set amounts for all 3 positions. Poll, Officer & Supervisor.

But as they can see your Tax paid year to date, could they have tried to pay you in a way that means you clear the quoted amount?

If that makes sense.

Big Bag of Chips

What was your net pay after deductions? I paid over €300 in tax and close to €50 USC

Ciaran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121977685#Comment_121977685

They can't see your tax paid to date. All they get from Revenue is what tax credits and 20% rateband to apply to the payment.

I very much doubt they're working backwards from a set net pay amount. Apart from being more work for their payroll, it would be very unfair.

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978263#Comment_121978263

Agree on both points. I'm amazed at the thoughts people have of what an independent payroll can do. I spent a number of years in payroll so know the challenges

Dodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121977669#Comment_121977669

Maybe they lied to you. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. I’m not suggesting there’s anything nefarious at play here.

I’m just telling you that civil servants get paid the exact same way as everybody else. As mentioned above, it is subject to tax and prsi. Perhaps they are pre 1995 recruits and don’t pay prsi on their normal salary and see the PRSI deductions as “not worth it” but everybody is paid cash (less tax and prsi) for any work done during elections (clerk, presiding officers, counters, etc)

digidy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978263#Comment_121978263

Yeah, makes sense.

Tbh I just can't figure out the pay differences. It's all over the board.

The only thing I can think of is Expenses & Training payment.

They did pay me for a 2 hour Training that only took one hour.

Other than that I have no idea.

digidy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978975#Comment_121978975

That might add up. Tbh it didn't make sense at all to me at all.

They both work in the same Department & I thought it might be seen as inappropriate that they work there & do Elections, as it opens it up to accusations & Conspiracy Theories.

But by that reckoning I'm his brother & still work there, as does her father & some of her siblings. So if that was the case we'd most likely all be too close.

If I can find anything else out. It might be pay related as you say, as the last few Civil Servants that were there when I started all left the same year. So it might be another financial reason.

Not sure why the Teachers left. My Mother used to do it back in the 1980's & it was mostly Teachers. Obviously that's decades before I started.

But nowadays the only Teachers are Retired ones. It might be just that they got first refusal as they were held in schools.

Or maybe it pushed them over the Tax Bracket do wasn't worth it.

But Teachers & Civil Servants ran the show for years. And now there's none.

Dodge

The only people I know who do it are public servants…