[user104658]

Originally Posted by Livia

It's cute you think £30k starting salary for a new graduate is "next to minimum wage".

Right but pay progression without band progression is minimal/practically non-existent. It can go the other way as well - my wife has done well from the NHS pay banding system, by leapfrogging through the bands quickly and doubling her salary in under 4 years. Meanwhile a Band 5 staff nurse with 15+ years experience is on barely more than when they started. To progress with pay, the only route is out of clinical nursing into management/non-clinical or specialist roles. Should everyone doing that? Leaving no experienced staff in medical wards?

And ... it is next to minimum wage. In England starting salary is £27k. A new start at McDonald's is currently on around £23k (full time). A job that requires zero training, zero experience, and has zero responsibility beyond not burning the chips. You genuinely believe that £27 - £30k is fair pay for people who literally have lives in their hands? It's utter madness.

The pay doesn't just need to be better, it needs completely turned on its head and restructured to reward and encourage experienced staff.