Wages
The pay-grade for bus drivers is actually relatively good. Plus - the longer you remain within the company, the higher your wage gets year on year. Below shows the pay structure for London General/London Central - Go ahead bus company.
Training Rate: £5.93 per hour (£45.07 a day)
Year one rate: £10.64 per hour (£404.53 a week)
Year two rate: £11.15 per hour (423.79 a week)
Year three rate: £11.65 per hour (£443.05 a week)
Year four rate: £12.16 per hour (462.32 a week)
Year five rate: £12.67 per hour (£481.58 a week)
Year six rate: £13.43 per hour (£510.71 a week)
These are based as MINIMUM earnings for completing the five allocated duties in a week. In addition, certain duties are scheduled beyond the guaranteed 38 hour week and there are also additional payments when you work "spreadover" duties (split shifts).
If you have been free from accidents that you could have reasonably avoided during the course of your service between years two and four, on the commencement of year five you will skip the year five rate (£12.67) and progress direct to the year six rate. In order to fulfil the criteria, you must not have received a disciplinary award on your record for any reason to do with accidents during this period.
Based upon the shift patterns that you will be expected to work and the extra payments detailed above, your weekly earnings will normally be higher than the minimum rates quoted above - on average, the company expect your weekly earnings to be up to £420 per week in your first year and up to £440 per on week on completion of 12 months service. There are also opportunities to work overtime (paid at enhanced rates of up to £19 per hour) that will increase your earnings potential further.
Holiday Entitlement
During the first calender year of service (1st January to 31st December) you will receive a pro-rata holiday entitlement dependent on when you started work for the company (plus any public/bank holidays in that period).
In the first full year of employment your holiday entitlement will be 20 days (plus 8 public/bank holidays). In order to ensure that the company have an adequate number of staff to provide advertised service, holidays are allocated on the basis of two weeks during the summer period (late April to September) and the remaining days during the winter months.
Once you have completed five years service, your annual leave entitlement will increase to 23 days (plus 8 public/bank holidays).
Sick Pay
If you are absent from work due to sickness you will only receive the amount that the company is required to pay under the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) scheme. Once you receive the year three rate of pay the company will pay Company sick pay in addition to the SSP from the fourth day of any period of sickness.
You must remember that any period of absence must be covered by either a self certificate or, if you are absent for more than seven days, a doctors certificate regardless of whether you are entitled to Company sick pay or not.
Pension Scheme
Go-ahead London operates a contributory pension scheme. All employees are eligible to join the scheme on completion of two years service. The scheme they operate is a Money Purchase scheme. Once you are eligible, you will be sent an information pack giving full details of the scheme and inviting you to join.
Travel Benefits
When you start employment with Go-ahead London you will be eligible for a staff travel pass that entitles you to travel, free of charge, on Londons' buses, London Underground, London overground, Tramlink and Docklands Light Rail services. On completion of three months service you will be eligible for a second pass for a nominee of your choice (subject to certain criteria) offering the same benefits. Please note though, that travel benefits are discretionary and can be amended or withdrawn at anytime without compensation.
They are also able to offer travel to work concessions on national rail services operated by Go-ahead's associated companies. This offers discounted season tickets on services operated by Southern & South Eastern train companies.
Training Rate: £5.93 per hour (£45.07 a day)
Year one rate: £10.64 per hour (£404.53 a week)
Year two rate: £11.15 per hour (423.79 a week)
Year three rate: £11.65 per hour (£443.05 a week)
Year four rate: £12.16 per hour (462.32 a week)
Year five rate: £12.67 per hour (£481.58 a week)
Year six rate: £13.43 per hour (£510.71 a week)
These are based as MINIMUM earnings for completing the five allocated duties in a week. In addition, certain duties are scheduled beyond the guaranteed 38 hour week and there are also additional payments when you work "spreadover" duties (split shifts).
If you have been free from accidents that you could have reasonably avoided during the course of your service between years two and four, on the commencement of year five you will skip the year five rate (£12.67) and progress direct to the year six rate. In order to fulfil the criteria, you must not have received a disciplinary award on your record for any reason to do with accidents during this period.
Based upon the shift patterns that you will be expected to work and the extra payments detailed above, your weekly earnings will normally be higher than the minimum rates quoted above - on average, the company expect your weekly earnings to be up to £420 per week in your first year and up to £440 per on week on completion of 12 months service. There are also opportunities to work overtime (paid at enhanced rates of up to £19 per hour) that will increase your earnings potential further.
Holiday Entitlement
During the first calender year of service (1st January to 31st December) you will receive a pro-rata holiday entitlement dependent on when you started work for the company (plus any public/bank holidays in that period).
In the first full year of employment your holiday entitlement will be 20 days (plus 8 public/bank holidays). In order to ensure that the company have an adequate number of staff to provide advertised service, holidays are allocated on the basis of two weeks during the summer period (late April to September) and the remaining days during the winter months.
Once you have completed five years service, your annual leave entitlement will increase to 23 days (plus 8 public/bank holidays).
Sick Pay
If you are absent from work due to sickness you will only receive the amount that the company is required to pay under the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) scheme. Once you receive the year three rate of pay the company will pay Company sick pay in addition to the SSP from the fourth day of any period of sickness.
You must remember that any period of absence must be covered by either a self certificate or, if you are absent for more than seven days, a doctors certificate regardless of whether you are entitled to Company sick pay or not.
Pension Scheme
Go-ahead London operates a contributory pension scheme. All employees are eligible to join the scheme on completion of two years service. The scheme they operate is a Money Purchase scheme. Once you are eligible, you will be sent an information pack giving full details of the scheme and inviting you to join.
Travel Benefits
When you start employment with Go-ahead London you will be eligible for a staff travel pass that entitles you to travel, free of charge, on Londons' buses, London Underground, London overground, Tramlink and Docklands Light Rail services. On completion of three months service you will be eligible for a second pass for a nominee of your choice (subject to certain criteria) offering the same benefits. Please note though, that travel benefits are discretionary and can be amended or withdrawn at anytime without compensation.
They are also able to offer travel to work concessions on national rail services operated by Go-ahead's associated companies. This offers discounted season tickets on services operated by Southern & South Eastern train companies.