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Any Wardens Out There - Query Regarding Job


Hi All,
Just a quick note about Ourselves, After 38 years in the engineering sector ( middle management )
I was made redundant last year, we have always been interested in caravanning and thought now was the time to change our lifestyle, and try to get the high blood pressure down etc etc. we were lucky enough to be offered a position as a couple, for park wardens in a 20 acre setting, although I have never been a keen gardener, the thought of a sit on mower at 54 years old could not be missed.

Here is the set up:

5 days - 24 cover on 2 days off, (Deputy covers 2 days off)
Wage includes a park home
The park comprises of the four elements in this industry
50 park homes ( Residential )
150 Static Caravans - 45 week occupancy
50 touring pitches
40 seasonal tourers

The job is full responsibility for the whole site, which includes:
24 hour cover due to security - barriers
Caravan sales - £15k to £50k
Ground work 3.5 days a week.
Maintenance of all facilities, Toilets, Tractor, Dumper, Sewage system / pump.
Moving Setting up statics with other maintenance men one day a week.
The owner comes in once a week for wages and take back the money,

We are 8 months into the job and we do love the majority of the work / lifestyle, some of the elements are not very pleasant, (you wouldn't believe what people put down toilets). we feel more healthier I've lost half a stone and thrown away the blood pressure tablets. But we are wondering if the work load which is high and the lack of independence, - no cut off point - ie ambulances at the gate at 11.30 at night .......reflects the actual wage.

Just interested in your comments and how much you would expect for this type of work. In a few weeks I will disclose how much we pick up as a couple......

Thanks...........MP







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23 Comments


west-is-best
Aug 04 2012 10:55 AM
I assume the hourly wage spread out over all those hours falls way below the minimum so on that alone i bet it's not great.

However, if you are able to live in the park home rent and bill free all year around that would be a different picture and would be worth another £1,000 a month or so on top (cost of renting a small flat, council tax, statutory authority bills etc.). Also to earn a £1,000 a month bring home it would be a gross of £1,200 so effictively your benefits alone are worth £300 / week?

View Postwest-is-best, on 04 August 2012 - 10:55 AM, said:

I assume the hourly wage spread out over all those hours falls way below the minimum so on that alone i bet it's not great.

However, if you are able to live in the park home rent and bill free all year around that would be a different picture and would be worth another £1,000 a month or so on top (cost of renting a small flat, council tax, statutory authority bills etc.). Also to earn a £1,000 a month bring home it would be a gross of £1,200 so effictively your benefits alone are worth £300 / week?
Hi,  The rent is £ 110/week  which inc council tax, we pay gas elect ....Gas works out at £100.00 per month avg ....very expensive in the winter - LPG bottles. Therefore equals £440.00 per month

Cheers MP
The value of accomodation on that basis depends which side of the fence you're looking from - to the site owner it's worth what it could be rented to an outsider for - to the employee it's only worth what you're saving at your permanent home which would be much less.
Have you thought about having a conversation with the Caravan Club to see what they could offer. You would have to use your own caravan.

David

View Postklyne, on 04 August 2012 - 06:06 PM, said:

Have you thought about having a conversation with the Caravan Club to see what they could offer. You would have to use your own caravan.

David
Hi David,

Yes we would like to get a couple of years under our belt, and see how things pan out in the future.

Thanks MP
Looking at that workload I would have thought £150,000 per year was about right
...and people moan about wardens..............not me.

geoff

View Postshipbroker, on 05 August 2012 - 06:50 AM, said:

...and people moan about wardens..............not me.

geoff

me neither nor Rally Marshalls

I might not go again but I would never moan to them when I know they are doing it for next to nothing or nothing
Just a couple of quick questions for you. Are the 2 days off really 2 days or is it more like 1.5 days. And are you required to be  phone contactable during those 2 days.  A company I used to work for required at least one of us to be on call each weekend, we used to get paid an extra 50 quid to be on weekend call. It started Friday at 1700 to Monday 0830 . In those days it was a pager, it was quite a fancy one as it could display text messages, all be it very cryptic ones.  So we had to be near a normal phone.
Last question do you get any form of holiday time or is it just the 2 days off every week, and are they consecutive 2 days and do they have to be the same 2 days each week.  OK several last questions there.
I guess on the premise the owner has got to be turning over circa £2m pa you have to ask yourself whats it worth to you as that is a bit site.

View Postbi6als, on 04 August 2012 - 09:44 PM, said:

Looking at that workload I would have thought £150,000 per year was about right

Welcome to the real world, take a nought off & I think we wont be far off  ...... give Mr Cameron & a few bankers the heads up would you

View Postcurzon, on 07 August 2012 - 02:47 PM, said:

Welcome to the real world, take a nought off & I think we wont be far off  ...... give Mr Cameron & a few bankers the heads up would you

I did post it "tongue in cheek" but seriously if you add up all the hours and just use minimum wage (whatever it is) Id be amazed if the result isnt many time more than the wages.
I havent done it
I expect Roger or Surfer will, so lets wait and see

You have to "want" the job to do it.

Im always suprised that anyone wants the jobs

View Postbi6als, on 07 August 2012 - 03:32 PM, said:

I did post it "tongue in cheek" but seriously if you add up all the hours and just use minimum wage (whatever it is) Id be amazed if the result isnt many time more than the wages.
I havent done it
I expect Roger or Surfer will, so lets wait and see

You have to "want" the job to do it.

Im always suprised that anyone wants the jobs
Minimum wage was invented after my time !

View Postbi6als, on 07 August 2012 - 03:32 PM, said:

I did post it "tongue in cheek" but seriously if you add up all the hours and just use minimum wage (whatever it is) Id be amazed if the result isnt many time more than the wages.
I havent done it
I expect Roger or Surfer will, so lets wait and see

You have to "want" the job to do it.

Im always suprised that anyone wants the jobs

Sorry if it came across wrong ......... I did take it as tongue in cheek

View Postcurzon, on 07 August 2012 - 05:25 PM, said:

Sorry if it came across wrong ......... I did take it as tongue in cheek

It didnt......I knew you knew..............I wasnt having a go at you.............I just think Wardens etc must be mad to do the job on the paltry wages they get..........but they are queueing up for the jobs so there must be something
I don't know about caravan site wardens but back in the '70s SWMBO took a part-time job as a groom in exchange for a rent-free Cotswold cottage - 4 hours each weekday morning plus full days every other Sat/Sun during summer - no money passed hands either way but it was a convenient arrangement for both parties as we were otherwise homeless.

View Posttoscal, on 07 August 2012 - 09:31 AM, said:

Just a couple of quick questions for you. Are the 2 days off really 2 days or is it more like 1.5 days. And are you required to be  phone contactable during those 2 days.  A company I used to work for required at least one of us to be on call each weekend, we used to get paid an extra 50 quid to be on weekend call. It started Friday at 1700 to Monday 0830 . In those days it was a pager, it was quite a fancy one as it could display text messages, all be it very cryptic ones.  So we had to be near a normal phone.
Last question do you get any form of holiday time or is it just the 2 days off every week, and are they consecutive 2 days and do they have to be the same 2 days each week.  OK several last questions there.

Hi..... the two days off are consecutive ...this was the only stipulation we made...allows us to have at least one night away now and then, and yes we are on call the deputy does'nt have any maintenance skills, and the pump seized the other week which required maintenance on our day off.  we get 4 weeks paid holiday per year.

Thanks MP
Whenever we're away we generally end up commenting on what a nice job it must be to be a warden, while we sit in our recliners enjoying a glass of something... but when we actually think about what they put in, the hours, the grief from some customers, all hours, all weathers, cleaning duties (it never ceases to amaze me how people can be so unclean) for probably not a lot of money in return, we begin to wonder why they do it.

I think these people must have been nurses in a previous life, cos that's the nearest comparison I can think of as a thankless job that comes close (maybe not the all weather bit).

Hats off to anyone who is, was, or wants to be a warden, I'll continue to watch from the comfort of my recliner thanks.
In our own leisure time it's easy to see certain jobs through rose-tinted glasses - those of us who like a drink must all have thought at one time or another that owning a pub would be nice - but not when you look at the hours and the unsavoury customers that occur from time to time.

Even the Caravan Club had to reorganise wardens working rota's and incur additional staff costs when the EC Working Time Directive came into force. I believe they had to adjust wages upwards when Minimum Wage came in as well - just shows how little remuneration they get and the long hours they have to work.
Depend on what you are used to

sat in a back office tapping a keyboard & telling others what to do, picking up 40+K it doesnt look a great job .... stacking shelves in Tesco on minimum wage & it might look pretty decent ????
Well its been 14 months now and we are still here, its hard work and long hours during the holiday season, we have learned a lot about the job and especially people, the blood pressure is down and no need for the pills anymore, We have been interested in some of the negative comments from other wardens regarding people and how they act, whether we have been lucky, from our point of view we have had no problems whatsoever, we are members of eurocamp, and the AA so we have met people from all areas, French, German, Dutch,  South African, Australian, and the States, and the UK of course,  some have very interesting tales, but most leave the facilities as you would wish, and no problems with noise in the evening, we were initially worried about the last two issues but no need.........so I would recommend this life to anyone who has plenty of energy, and is prepared to give up their weekends, but there are some negatives from our view:
Limited time to see family, due to having Mon and Tues off due to being at work.
Only Christmas eve / day, and New years eve / day off,  due to static site being open.- Cover only.
No cut off times.

The only advice I would give to anyone perusing this role would be to establish cut off points, ie start and finish times, and agree an hourly rate.
Hi oxo, sounds like you made the right choice and I'm pleased it has worked out.
You haven't revealed how much money you earn as a couple doing this work as you said you would
in your first post ! I know with work like this it's not all about money and more a labour of love thing,
but would be interested in that line of work myself depending on how much I have in my pocket at end of the
month. Cheers Gary
Yes Gary,

Almost forgot, we earn £1200 / month (pickup) plus £1500 commision / year, plus a twin unit park home - rent / ctax inc, we just pay for gas, it does'nt sound much but there are other savings, hardly do any miles in the car, used to cost me £30 per week just to go to work, would be interested in hearing from other full time warden couples if this is competative.


Cheers
OXO

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