To: Network Managers

[Midget]

Superior Officer

[Lee_K_81]

Could someone explain what SO is?

 

SO = Senior Officer

 

PO = Principal Officer

[Kained]

We are going through a pay review here also for all support staff, under the guidlines set by GLEA.

Support staff wages are set to rise but the due date for this has been altered many times, i had a pay rise after i had been here a year i mentioned it to the assistant head at the time (enquiring just who i talk to etc) and by the end of the day i had a rise.

 

Its all about how you approach them, i normally soften the blow with suggesting something to save them money

[Lee_K_81]

i had a pay rise after i had been here a year i mentioned it to the assistant head at the time (enquiring just who i talk to etc) and by the end of the day i had a rise.

 

Similar thing here. I hate to say it but it's office politics. If the face fits and you do a good job they will do their best to keep you for as long as possible.

 

@Chris: Remind them how indispensible you are and that to replace you they would need to pay £x amount, and cant guarantee what that person is like. Finding job ad's for the same position in either the same LA or nearby LA's will also give you ammunition (or something to apply for)

[derer1]

Odd - I was told the SO grades no longer exist/apply - at least in Somerset!

Then again, I dont know what grade I *am* on

[plexer]

Also Chris Norfolk LEA are currently regrading all support positions anyway and this will be announced in April.

 

Ben

[ChrisN-0123]

It states in your Post Description that you are responsible to the Systems Manager, do you have a Systems Manager?

Good Luck.

 

Yup I have a Systems Manager here.. its funny though. I am actually in charge of the System Manager budget! I think it will be worth while getting the SysM's job description too just to see what jobs I am doing on his description. A lot has changed since it was last updated. I get on well with the SysM, so I should ask what jobs I have taken over from him through the years.

 

Thanks - Chris

[ChrisN-0123]

@Chris: Remind them how indispensible you are and that to replace you they would need to pay £x amount, and cant guarantee what that person is like. Finding job ad's for the same position in either the same LA or nearby LA's will also give you ammunition (or something to apply for)

 

Thanks yeah.. They had no end of trouble finding a Network Manager before I took over from Technician. They had trouble finding people with the relevant experience because of the pay that was advertised.

[StewartKnight]

I'm the only technician in my school, and I get the school holidays off, hence, my pay is circa £25k pro rata.

 

The school is a small (500 pupils) rural school, we have about 150 workstations!

[localzuk]

StewartKnight - how long have you been in the position? I am in a similar size school (600 pupils, 170 computers) and get £16k - the only thing I am guessing that is different is that I have only been in full time employment for 9 months.

[limbo]

The determined pay somebody gets basically comes down to two things.

 

1) The responsiblity the job holds - having staff that you are actually line manager for (as oposed to supervisor for) is the biggest way to get a step up.

2) How much the school wants to spend to keep you, the usual line of though is "how much would it costs us to get an equal replacement" - But it is not always easy to second guess how the SMT consider this one.

 

It may be there are lots of extra things you do that no-one else would easily be able to do - writing and maintaining a website etc. These skills could get you the extra cash - but only if SMT think these are skills they cannot do without. If they would not miss the extra things you do and would not bother looking for them in a replacement then it does not make you as valuable.

 

Try and find someone in the school to compare yourself to - someone with the same number of staff answering to them. Do you have an office manager who oversees the other admin staff, try and find out what they are on.

 

Unfortunately in most cases the quickest way to get more money is to move jobs - and often. Having said that I am one of the fortunate ones with a very supportive SMT and Governing Body and in my seventh year at the same place because increases have always been forthcoming - often without any action on my part.

[Midget]

Stewart> I hope you don't mind me jumping on the "I hate SK" bandwagon

[ChrisN-0123]

Thanks VERY much for all of your responses!

 

You have all been extreamily helpful

 

I'm new to this Forum site and made many friends here

already.. you all rock!!!

 

I will be posting the schools response as soon as I hear it.

 

Take care and have a great week everyone..

 

~Chris

 

PS. http://www.chrisn.it/NetworkManagerB.pdf

*Updated Job Description - Pending approval*

[wesleyw]

I've got my Review for pay soon which will be interesting .

[Halfmad]

I'm due a pay review soon and working in scotland but my pay is just over £25,000/year although I'm expecting it to be cut

 

My duties include all IT support and developement for the high school (about 450 PCS + servers etc) and advising our 6 primary schools on IT as well as offering emergency IT support to them when the central IT department is busy (or useless - which it usually is). I do all of this on my own, no technician.

 

In total approximately 1100 computers (PCs and Macs).

 

I'm also responsible for internet security, manage my own budget (approximatelly £110, 000/year) and train staff on new applications and hardware.

 

I'm hoping the school employ a technician soon to help me as I'm swamped with work and regularly work 11 hour days or take work home over weekends. The teachers have stated time and again that things have dramatically improved since my arrival just over a year ago but I'm already looking for a new job as I don't want to be off with stress.

[Pastyeater]

I'm under the impression that as a aresult of this pay review the worst that can happen is no annual April pay rises. I don't believe that pay cuts are planned. I suggest joining UNISON asap just in case however unless they change your responsibilities I don't think they can cut your pay. There will be info on Unison site about this.

It's unbelievable you do not have a technician. Can you call their bluff about leaving or have you mouths to feed?

[Halfmad]

Well I'm moving through to Glasgow later this year to move in with my fiance so I'll probably look for a job in that area although I do love working here but simply have too much work to do! I'm going to talk to my boss next week about it as the school is being rebuilt over the next two years and we'll have an increase in the school role and therefor more PCs to support. I'm due 200 palmtops after summer that will be issued to all staff and second year students, that's going to be a nightmare to support on it's own!

[Mr.G]

Hi people...

 

I'm new here and this is my 2nd post! Wohoo

 

Anyway, here's my thoughts on the topic:

 

Salaries throughout the UK and Wales for ICT technicians and Network Managers are very different, we can clearly see that here in this thread. I'm on the top of scale 5/6 at the moment and have asked for a pay rise to match my responsibility/qualifications.

 

One thing i've noticed. It is not ALL about the level of responsibility you have, qualifications are what Senior Management see along side responsibility. So we need to remember that when asking for payrises. I'm not saying its fair for one person to have more money purely based on qualifications, as up until recently my qualifications were around average. I am almost CCNA qualified and am working towards some Microsoft Qualifications (although anyone practically can get these).

 

It is important to remember the changes in your job from year to year, with the addition of new PCs to support and any high end network changes including servers etc.

 

One thing i did....wrote down all the changes in my job since i started 5 years ago. Noted the salary increases and showed the work/responsibility/qualification comparison over the period. It's the best way i thought i could show it. It worked, my salary is under investigation and i'm hoping to go to S01.

 

Good luck to all those hoping for a pay rise...i know how hard it is to be recognised.

 

Mr.G

[Midget]

I've been told I have no chance of a payrise as I don't have line-management responsibility, and I never will. So it doesnt matter about my Cisco certification or Honors Degree.

[frontal]

I can only say what is going on in Devon, who have just finished job evaluation.

But the majority of network managers (where the job description says manager) have ended up on a G grade which is £27500 starting.

[Midget]

I bet this council are happy that all the IT people have "Technician" on their job specs then

[Mr.G]

Can i suggest that "someone" (i'd be happy to) make up an excel spreadsheet with comparisons of job salaries/brief job descriptions for "Network Managers" to help those who are on the lower end of the Salary.

 

We could all use the information to compare jobs etc and use the information to maybe gain better pay scales?

 

Perhaps i'm being to optimistic here but i'd like to give it a go.

 

If people could forward the info to my e-mail addy i'd be happy to compose it and e-mail it back out to those that had sent.

 

Mods...hope i'm not treading on toes here. ?

 

Mr.G

[Midget]

Won't make a difference for me, as I'm in Wales and I've been told "things happen differently in England they have more money"

[derer1]

I can only say what is going on in Devon, who have just finished job evaluation.

But the majority of network managers (where the job description says manager) have ended up on a G grade which is £27500 starting.

 

Strewth! Just a few miles over the somerset border it's a *Very* different story

[Geoff]

in England they have more money

 

We do? Where?