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Reader panel - Are you getting paid enough? |
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Written by COS Editorial Team
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Saturday, 14 May 2005 |
A survey of health and safety salaries
In our reader panel for this edition, we tackled the age-old question - are you making enough money?
Many people have more than one function in their organization. Some, in addition to their regular duties, also take on the task of joining health and safety committees or take additional courses like First Aid and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training. As a result, some may feel that additional compensation for their efforts might be in order. Or, perhaps, long overdue.
There were certainly many people with something to say on the subject who answered our Reader Panel survey question: Are you getting enough? In fact, we had a total of 92 responses before the closing of our panel.
Our survey shows that over 80 per cent of people responsible for health and safety in the workplace are making more than $50,000. At least nine out of every 100 make over $100,000 a year.
Here's how the responses break down.
Of the respondents that we had, 61 of them or 66 per cent said occupational health and safety was their full-time responsibility. Of those, a large percentage of salary ranges were from $61,000 to $65,000 and $71,000 to $75,000 at 15 per cent each.
Another 13 per cent noted they were in the $51,000 to $55,000 salary range while nine per cent reported in the $41,000 to $50,000 and in the over $100,000 range. Another seven per cent reported they were in the $56,000 to $60,000 and $66,000 to $70,000 ranges while six per cent each reported in the $36,000 to $40,000 and $76,000 to $80,000 ranges.
A total of eight per cent reported making from $81,000 per year to $90,000 per year. Finally, three per cent reported making $96,000 to $100,000 and one per cent were making between $31,000 and $35,000.
People were asked their thoughts on whether their salary was based on education, training, experience or performance. A large number commented that all of the above were equally important while several more listed combinations of education, training, experience and performance.
"At this point, I would say training and performance," states one respondent. "As my additional education and experience grows, so shall the salary."
"Companies who hire inexperienced people end up getting what they paid for," says a reader.
Readers were asked if they felt they received a fair, competitive salary for the type of work they do and the majority ? 50 respondents or 54 per cent of the sample ? said they were.
We then asked what some of the tasks were that they performed; it was clear many professionals wore multiple hats. Training topped the list with 86 per cent or 79 respondents claiming that task. This was followed closely at 83 per cent each for designing new health and safety programs and developing new procedures.
Dealing with those daily fires that crop up was claimed by 76 per cent of the respondents while 74 per cent said they have the job of developing safety tasks.
A large percentage also reported travel as part of their job requirements. Of those who responded, 60 per cent indicated they would take day trips to visit job sites while 50 per cent reported overnight travel was part of their job. We also had 28 per cent reporting managing occupational health and safety in more than one province or country. Meanwhile, 29 per cent reported functions outside occupational health, safety and environment.
When it comes to overseeing workplace health and safety, those who have the job say it isn't the easiest one in the company, nor does it always get the compensation they feel it deserves.
"I do little bits of most everything including WCB claims," says one reader. "In the last few years, I find myself spending increasing amounts of time on security and emergency preparedness."
"This job is not 9 to 5. If the companies pay you for the hours you work, you can make a good living at it. I am also looking to another job," one reader says while another one complains, "The organization keeps downsizing and piling on more work, with no compensation for the additional work load."
And yet, it does have its place in the company structure, says one reader. "While health and safety is not my only job duty, it is an important one that is taking on increasing importance.
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