10th September 2010, 03:37 PM
There is something a bit rotten about all of this, and while self-employment should be a perfectly acceptable option it doesn't really add up very well at present. That's regardless of certain issues that I daren't bring up regarding attempts to 'maintain and improve archaeological field standards' because they would be snipped pretty quickly by the host.
The previous article on charge-out rates for specialist that is referenced should ring some alarm bells - the calculation given suggests that for a salary of ?20,898 the daily rate should be about ?200. Now, assume that a digger is going to be aiming for a more realistic salary but perhaps at the bottom end so ?16,000 (basic site assistant-ish). The same calcuation gives a daily rate of ?165 per day. Anyone charging that? For a more experienced digger it will just go up. If people are charging ?100 a day, which they clearly are, what does that amount to in terms of a salary? Perhaps ?10,000?! Does the IfA think this is a good route? I wonder what Mr Martin charges per day?
I would also be a little concerned about the implications for those coming into archaeology - how would they gain the appropriate skills to get to a position to be sustainably self-employed in the first place? Encouraging those with little experience is surely bordering on exploitation. I too have concerns about employees effectively tendering for jobs and in despertion cutting their own rates to get work. How would anyone know if recommended rates are being kept to?
The previous article on charge-out rates for specialist that is referenced should ring some alarm bells - the calculation given suggests that for a salary of ?20,898 the daily rate should be about ?200. Now, assume that a digger is going to be aiming for a more realistic salary but perhaps at the bottom end so ?16,000 (basic site assistant-ish). The same calcuation gives a daily rate of ?165 per day. Anyone charging that? For a more experienced digger it will just go up. If people are charging ?100 a day, which they clearly are, what does that amount to in terms of a salary? Perhaps ?10,000?! Does the IfA think this is a good route? I wonder what Mr Martin charges per day?
I would also be a little concerned about the implications for those coming into archaeology - how would they gain the appropriate skills to get to a position to be sustainably self-employed in the first place? Encouraging those with little experience is surely bordering on exploitation. I too have concerns about employees effectively tendering for jobs and in despertion cutting their own rates to get work. How would anyone know if recommended rates are being kept to?