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| Scotland's exam body promises living wage after £6 hourly rate revealed | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scotland’s examinations agency has promised it will now pay thousands of exam invigilators the living wage after repeated criticisms of its allegedly lax payments policy. | Scotland’s examinations agency has promised it will now pay thousands of exam invigilators the living wage after repeated criticisms of its allegedly lax payments policy. |
| The Scottish Qualifications Authority, which runs the country’s state school exam system, has been under intense pressure after invigilators accused it of breaching minimum wage legislation and Scottish government living wage policy. | The Scottish Qualifications Authority, which runs the country’s state school exam system, has been under intense pressure after invigilators accused it of breaching minimum wage legislation and Scottish government living wage policy. |
| Investigations by the Guardian last year found invigilators were paid an effective hourly rate of £6 for the longest exam sessions. Invigilators said the SQA underestimated the time spent on administration and the extra time given to pupils with additional needs, and disregarded the duration of some exams. | Investigations by the Guardian last year found invigilators were paid an effective hourly rate of £6 for the longest exam sessions. Invigilators said the SQA underestimated the time spent on administration and the extra time given to pupils with additional needs, and disregarded the duration of some exams. |
| Unlike English exam boards, the SQA refused to pay its invigilators by the hour, regardless of how much time each session involved. | Unlike English exam boards, the SQA refused to pay its invigilators by the hour, regardless of how much time each session involved. |
| In an unannounced move earlier this month, the SQA wrote to all its 6,500 invigilators to say it would now guarantee they would earn £8.45 an hour from 1 April by changing claims forms to record the actual hours worked. | In an unannounced move earlier this month, the SQA wrote to all its 6,500 invigilators to say it would now guarantee they would earn £8.45 an hour from 1 April by changing claims forms to record the actual hours worked. |
| The SQA had not raised its set fee of £27.15 per half day since it was first introduced in 2009, leading to questions in the Scottish parliament and an investigation by the Poverty Alliance, a charity which oversees Scotland’s living wage policy. | The SQA had not raised its set fee of £27.15 per half day since it was first introduced in 2009, leading to questions in the Scottish parliament and an investigation by the Poverty Alliance, a charity which oversees Scotland’s living wage policy. |
| Peter Kelly, the charity’s chief executive, warned in October the SQA could be stripped of its status as a living wage employer unless it guaranteed a living wage, but had promised to introduce “robust” ways to monitor pay. | Peter Kelly, the charity’s chief executive, warned in October the SQA could be stripped of its status as a living wage employer unless it guaranteed a living wage, but had promised to introduce “robust” ways to monitor pay. |
| The authority repeatedly denied that that fee broke Scotland’s living wage rules because in theory, it said, invigilators would work a mixture of short or long days which would balance out over the full exam season. | The authority repeatedly denied that that fee broke Scotland’s living wage rules because in theory, it said, invigilators would work a mixture of short or long days which would balance out over the full exam season. |
| But the SQA also admitted it had no way of checking that was true by monitoring payments to individual invigilators, leading Daniel Johnson, a Scottish Labour MSP, to ask HM Revenue & Customs to launch an investigation last year under the UK’s minimum wage legislation. | But the SQA also admitted it had no way of checking that was true by monitoring payments to individual invigilators, leading Daniel Johnson, a Scottish Labour MSP, to ask HM Revenue & Customs to launch an investigation last year under the UK’s minimum wage legislation. |
| Under the new policy, invigilators’ wages will be topped up to £8.45 an hour if the standard fee does not match their actual hours, the authority said. It admitted that it now needed to cover time spent on administration to give a “true picture” of actual working hours. | Under the new policy, invigilators’ wages will be topped up to £8.45 an hour if the standard fee does not match their actual hours, the authority said. It admitted that it now needed to cover time spent on administration to give a “true picture” of actual working hours. |
| Johnson said the about-turn was welcome but it suggested that it had been underpaying invigilators before. “It raises questions about their previous policy,” he added. “The SQA insisted their previous rate was compliant with the real and national living wage, if it was why have they shifted? It suggests there was a problem and with it the prospect that minimum wage legislation has been broken. The SQA either need to prove they have been paying the living wage or put it right.” | Johnson said the about-turn was welcome but it suggested that it had been underpaying invigilators before. “It raises questions about their previous policy,” he added. “The SQA insisted their previous rate was compliant with the real and national living wage, if it was why have they shifted? It suggests there was a problem and with it the prospect that minimum wage legislation has been broken. The SQA either need to prove they have been paying the living wage or put it right.” |
| The SQA refused to say whether an HMRC investigation had prompted its change in policy. It said the new payment system was part of a normal review. | The SQA refused to say whether an HMRC investigation had prompted its change in policy. It said the new payment system was part of a normal review. |
| “As part of our regular review procedures, we have provided additional guidance and revised our claim forms for invigilators,” a spokesman said. “We are committed to continuing to pay the living wage as our status as a living wage employer.” | “As part of our regular review procedures, we have provided additional guidance and revised our claim forms for invigilators,” a spokesman said. “We are committed to continuing to pay the living wage as our status as a living wage employer.” |
| The invigilator whose complaint to Johnson sparked off last year’s investigations, but who asked not to be named, said it was not truly a victory because the SQA was legally-bound to pay the £8.45 living wage from 1 April. | The invigilator whose complaint to Johnson sparked off last year’s investigations, but who asked not to be named, said it was not truly a victory because the SQA was legally-bound to pay the £8.45 living wage from 1 April. |
| “I am delighted they have seen sense, but it is a great pity it has taken people campaigning, MSP questioning and newspaper articles to bring about a satisfactory conclusion,” he said. | “I am delighted they have seen sense, but it is a great pity it has taken people campaigning, MSP questioning and newspaper articles to bring about a satisfactory conclusion,” he said. |