Hi everyone.
I am looking to take on my first employee and don't know what a suitable hourly rate would be. I am Peterborough based and am looking for someone who can do basic bookkeeping work in our offices, basic payroll processing and also potentially visit a clients' site once a month to do bookkeeping for them. If anyone has any clue I'd be really grateful for an insight.
Thanks!
Replies (41)
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Will it be a man or a woman? I am given to understand that women are generally about 25% cheaper...
Good luck with saying that
Will it be a man or a woman? I am given to understand that women are generally about 25% cheaper...
Ouch - wait for the storm!!
Correct prediction
Will it be a man or a woman? I am given to understand that women are generally about 25% cheaper...
Ouch - wait for the storm!!
I warned you !!!!
Good subject for jokes? Not if you have to 'live the joke'!
Will it be a man or a woman? I am given to understand that women are generally about 25% cheaper...
It maybe would be funny if it wasn't so financially crippling for many women who do just as good a job as the men who are paid much more,and remember, those women could well be trying to raise families single handed.
Sarah ... you are the [***] of another 'joke' for having the temerity to stand up for all females. Now get back to the chain which tethers you to the kitchen sink. Maybe cheekychappy thinks slavery should not have been abolished ... where females are concerned, or that it's ok to make fun of 'men keeping the little woman in her place'?
Sarah, let's be thankful we are only female, and are not gay, disabled, have dyslexia or have something else 'wrong with us' because that would be another good excuse for a bit of 'banter'.
Didn't Doc Fox claim that the sex abuse he is accused of was only a 'bit of banter'? Banter seems to be the 'catch all' excuse.
Not Even a Doctor
Didn't Doc Fox claim that the sex abuse he is accused of was only a 'bit of banter'? Banter seems to be the 'catch all' excuse.
Apparently he is isn't a real Doctor either, the dirty dog.
What???
Didn't Doc Fox claim that the sex abuse he is accused of was only a 'bit of banter'? Banter seems to be the 'catch all' excuse.
Apparently he is isn't a real Doctor either, the dirty dog.
Whhaaaaat? Next you'll be telling me Professor Green isn't actually a Prof............ WHAAAAT!?!?
My childhood is crumbling ...
Didn't Doc Fox claim that the sex abuse he is accused of was only a 'bit of banter'? Banter seems to be the 'catch all' excuse.
Apparently he is isn't a real Doctor either, the dirty dog.
Whhaaaaat? Next you'll be telling me Professor Green isn't actually a Prof............ WHAAAAT!?!?
... next you will be telling me Colonel Mustard was never even in the army and is actually a bounder a cad and a charlatan!
Irony
It maybe would be funny if it wasn't so financially crippling for many women who do just as good a job as the men who are paid much more,and remember, those women could well be trying to raise families single handed.
A sweeping generalisation that female bookkeepers might be single mums, in a post complaining about sexist views........
Although arguably a single parent (male or female) might have have less experience due to time out to have a family, and/or be less able to offer the same level of work commitment (long says at short notice etc) than someone who had never done so.
As for wages - £10/hour to £12/hour top get someone reasonable if they're going off site.and working largely unsupervised. £8/hour t £10/hour fosomeoneyou can keep an eye on in the office.
I didn't mention single!
It maybe would be funny if it wasn't so financially crippling for many women who do just as good a job as the men who are paid much more,and remember, those women could well be trying to raise families single handed.
A sweeping generalisation that female bookkeepers might be single mums, in a post complaining about sexist views........
I was thinking along the lines of divorced, widowed, or plain old abandoned! The same could apply to a male parent raising a family alone. In any case, it takes two to make a baby. Single or married makes no difference to the outcome.
Anyway, it's pretty clear that I am getting a hostile reaction from most of the people here, so I'll stop wasting my time and say adieu, goodnight, and sleep tight.
This might be useful
http://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Job=Bookkeeper/Hourly_Rate
certainly more useful than what you've had so far.
Not a million miles away
from you and I would say around £10ph is the going rate for someone competent but not that experienced up to £15ph for those who really know their stuff.
The £10ph tallies with the median shown for Norwich which is probably the most comparable to Peterborough.
100 per cent cheaper for Tim Vanes company
If it was Tim Vane company. no women would want to touch his company with a barge pole. Sisters united. lol
a very big stadium
Full of exceptionally talented sisters singing it is raining men and we all know what everyone thinks about rain no mater what time of rain. Dull -Dull and even more Dull . LOL
Shirley, it was a joke. Maybe
Shirley, it was a joke. One the Sarah seemed to engage in.
Maybe men would have more respect for women like you if you saw a joke for what it was without getting uppity and feminazi.
It’s astonishing that some women get like this over a joke, but have no qualms about making jokes about men such as multitasking or the toilet seat, or that common quote; “typical man”.
Get over yourself love.
Back to the topic
[quote=cheekychappy]
'Maybe men would have more respect for women like you if you saw a joke for what it was without getting uppity and feminazi.'
I took the comment as it was intended and I have to agree (without wanting to raise anymore hackles) that it does women absolutely no favours when we are constantly on the attack every time a man makes a remark that can be construed a sexist in any way. I think that on the whole men have, up until recently, been fairly oblivious to the pay gap. This, in my opinion, is mainly because these sort of things are not generally on their radar (No jokes re multitasking!) It is a great thing that the pay gap is 'on the agenda', however, we could go on forever on this topic so, back to the original question....
I would be looking to pay a bookkeeper at the very least £12 per hour, and if you are wanting to put Payroll into the equation it may be a bit more. I also think that this rate will be largely dependent on your geographical location and the quality or your recruitment pool. I am based in rural Perthshire, where rates of pay in general seem to be considerably lower than in the likes of a city like Glasgow, so you will need to take that into account. From my experience, I would put the personal qualities and abilities of the individual ahead of a prescriptive rate of pay. In advertising a given rate you may restrict applicants whom for a small amount more could offer considerably more experience and technical ability, so keep your advert fairly broad when detailing remuneration.
Swearing at me
Patronising *!*!.
Quick, someone shackle her and take her back to the kitchen.
It was a joke ;)
Patronising *!*!.
Quick, someone shackle her and take her back to the kitchen.
Not very funny though, eh?
I see I am only welcome here if I tolerate sexist 'jokes'. As usual, if anyone has the nerve to stand up and express their opinion they get blamed for not having a 'sense of humour'. That's why discrimination thrives, because anyone standing up and saying it's wrong becomes the target of more 'jokes'.
You would need to have walked in the shoes of someone other than yourself to understand why some females find the subject distressing and hurtful.
Thank you, Bernard
You had the foresight and the understanding to see that some people would find those (and following) comments offensive.
I'm going to get some 'real' work done now (not cooking or cleaning), so the 'jokers' and 'baiters' can have a free for all ... but I'll catch up later. ;)
Offensive
I'm going to get some 'real' work done now (not cooking or cleaning), so the 'jokers' and 'baiters' can have a free for all ... but I'll catch up later. ;)
On behalf of all professional cooks and cleaners, I find that offensive.
Credentials
I am not a real Doctor either! A few comments...
1. @Luke Peterborough is but a boil on the backside of the historic Medieval city of Norwich. Apples and oranges mate!!
2. I really hope that sexist comment was a joke. I think it was, but it was a bad idea. Sexism in the accounting sector is a real problem.
Firstly, an admission, I'm a chap
I like a joke although, I am conscious of my audience when telling one.
Answer this, all those who think it's OK when the comments become sexist, or gender based.
Would you honestly think it fair, or reasonable, if the comments were related to; disability, or ethnic origin. Thought so, of course not.
Our profession should include a modicum of grown ups. I'm quite surprised how few there really are.
Take these comments how you will, I really couldn't care less any more and am becoming sick and tired of male dominated, bullish behaviour which, in my view, is unacceptable.
Says it all really. In a thread of 20 comments, at the moment, only 2 attempted to answer the enquiry.
Small d**ks spring to mind!
Unacceptable comments
This thread has gone off the rails.
Let’s remind ourselves of our community rules:
Deliberately discriminatory comments about sex, age, race, religion or politics, or any other derogatory or personal attacks will not be tolerated, and any attempts by members to deliberately provoke another member on these grounds will result in a temporary ban and the original thread being removed to allow AccountingWEB.co.uk time to investigate the nature and context of the comment(s).
The sexist banter excuse is NOT acceptable.
Let’s steer the conversation back to the salary expectation topic.
Agreed
This thread has gone off the rails.
Let’s remind ourselves of our community rules:
Deliberately discriminatory comments about sex, age, race, religion or politics, or any other derogatory or personal attacks will not be tolerated, and any attempts by members to deliberately provoke another member on these grounds will result in a temporary ban and the original thread being removed to allow AccountingWEB.co.uk time to investigate the nature and context of the comment(s).
The sexist banter excuse is NOT acceptable.
Well said Richard.
Peterborough is not that bad (but not as good as Norwich)!!
Since it was my post above that derailed the thread I would just like to say that my comment was triggered by a recent series of articles about the "Equal Pay Day" last week - the day from which a woman effectively works for free until the end of the year because of the disparity in wages.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34764812
I was hoping to highlight the absurdity, not condone the disparity.
Okay Tim that is fair enough
Tim your right about women's pay. I was maybe a bit harsh in my joke about not working for your company. However your second comment explains what you meant much better.
Don't feel too bad, Sarah
Some men also took that comment to be derogatory, but the explanation of Tim's motives does remove any ill feeling.
Rates based on experience
Base your rate on their experience and what they bring to the table.
In my experience cheapest is usually very far from best. Offer a decent rate and you will get (hopefully) the right person for the position.
Don't make the (common) mistake of trying for the cheapest option in order to maximise your own profits, it usually doesn't work.
And get references and don't be afraid to call the references for a real feel for the person rather than the usual bland written reference.
As it's your first employee, don't take on a trainee or someone with limited experience.
Without being ageist or sexist, I'd recommend going for someone older for their greater world experience, as well as the fact that someone into their forties is less likely to be wanting to run the company in the next 2 years (I've met my fair share of uni grads fresh in the door who think they will be senior partner inside 5 years before they even sit their first exam). You might also find their views worth listening to.
Just make sure they are compatible with the sorts of accounting packages and methods your clients are likely to be using. For instance, my clients and I prefer QB and QB online so it would be pointless taking on someone who has 20 years experience of using Sage.
Awol were are you based
As a branch leader for Bookkeepers in Glasgow and the central belt region the average charge out rate is £20 and above many are getting £25. More advance ones are charging out at £30 to £35 depending on the volume of work from the client
All the goods ones are on that price level in Glasgow and Central Belt anyway.
charge rates vs salary
As a branch leader for Bookkeepers in Glasgow and the central belt region the average charge out rate is £20 and above many are getting £25. More advance ones are charging out at £30 to £35 depending on the volume of work from the client
All the goods ones are on that price level in Glasgow and Central Belt anyway.
Im dahn sarhf - in the 'affluent' south east in fact, but not in London.
Your charge rates are presumably for S/E bookkeepers - the OP is talking about a salary for an in house bookkeeper. If he is going to charge someone out at (say) £35ph then they are probably going to want to pay them in line with my suggestions.
London
Self employed b/ks in London get £20-£25/hour in my experience. I certainly advise clients that it's worth paying that for a good one.
Coventry
The cost of a good qualified bookkeeper will be between £12.50 -£20.00 per hour. Regardless of their gender
Glasgow Rates
No The rates I was referring to where for Glasgow and Edinburgh not the Southeast for the reason that I do not live there and do not know the current rate. Most Good bookkeepers Salary wise as in employment with experience would be £15 and above at least.
S/E
Self Employed. It's fairly obvious you weren't on about south east prices, as you clearly stated that you were up where it's colder.
The point being that the OP wanted opinions on a salary, not charge rate (unless I've misread it and been merrily barking up the wrong tree ever since)
slight change.......
I recently had to take over the bookkeeping for one of my clients as they sacked their bookkeeper as she was very rude when asking for info.
She charged £20 per hour
sorry rest of post....... stupid rich text format!
And her monthly fee varied between £200 and £280. I advised my client I would do the current quarter for VAT return and then would try and find a new bookkeeper – (which btw is very hard to find one these days who is good). I did all the bookkeeping (sage) and got the vat return done. It took me 7 hours for the three months. I am £100 per hour so charged the client £700 – they were chuffed as that is roughly what they paid the bookkeeper per quarter and had me do it. I was chuffed too as that £1,000 annual fee is now £3k-£4k
My point is – HOW did it take the bookkeeper 10-14 hours per month when I managed three months in 7 hours………. So to me the hourly rate is irrelevant – it is the overall price…….
It may have taken them longer because they didn't have/were having problems in getting the information. May be that was because of they way that they asked for it and, so. it may have been delayed in getting to them? Just a thought