Are people happy to work in Tenerife on really low wages?

Cazten · 26th November 2006, 00:48

Sorry, but sometimes I just have to give my head a shake to get back to the real world....

Are people here happy to work for Dickensian wages, just because the weather is better? I guess we must be.

When I left the UK, nearly 10 years ago, I was on about £25K+ and a good package (and only in a mediocre middle management position)

The thought of getting the equivalent over here, is just laughable to me. I know highly qualified people with several languages that aren't even earning half that now; in 2006.

Are there any jobs here in Tenerife that pay a decent wage for a decent weeks work? I'm not talking commission only hard-sell here; just a "normal" regular hours job. I just wondered if such things exist?

Is the reality that you can get work here (especially commission only) but at very low rates - ie: about €6 an hour? Or is there really an opportunity to earn a good income for an honest weeks work?

I'd be interested in you opinions

Fred Perry · 27th November 2006, 13:52

Canarians are on the lowest average wage in the whole of Spain.
That will reflect on the ex-pat wages as well. You cannot compare the wages in the Uk to here because it is completely different.

Alot of business owners in the south do take advantage of the British workers out here. Because many Brit´s out here do not speak Spanish they only have a limited amount of work available and the employers know this. Like it or lump it is the attitude.
On the other hand though how many employers have sorted out documents/contracts for staff only for them to disappear soon after leaving the costs behind?

lord_cheeseman · 27th November 2006, 14:22

I think if you want to make good money in tenerife you have to start your own business. I can't think of anyone (expat) I know who is employed and earning a good wage, but I can definately think of a few self employed folk who do, bit risky tho

Fred Perry · 27th November 2006, 17:49

There are pro's and cons about having your business or not. I have my own business now and it is going okay but sometimes I think back to my old job where I had an indefinate contract, 44 days paid holiday, decent wage (for Tenerife anyway, 1,100/1,250 e a month) weekends off, 9-5 etc.

brenda · 27th November 2006, 18:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred Perry

There are pro's and cons about having your business or not. I have my own business now and it is going okay but sometimes I think back to my old job where I had an indefinate contract, 44 days paid holiday, decent wage (for Tenerife anyway, 1,100/1,250 e a month) weekends off, 9-5 etc.

Oh please PM me with where that was please !!! I would love weekends off and work form 9 to 5 with those type of wages too, at the minute i am working 6 days a week on less wages than you were on too !! I would love that job.

CVW · 27th November 2006, 23:05

I find employed working wages really really low here, I have worked for the biggest hotel chain in the south of the island and even there I was working in poor conditions and for a low wage, I was working in a higher management role Mon-Fri 09.00h to 18.00h (supposedly) normally staff left well after their offical leaving time and many even arrived well before their start time becuase this is what was expected, even from the top manager, we had to count ourselves very lucky for having the "weekend off" wow for a Tenerife job!! Becuase of being on a hotel contract you had to work fiesta days and were allowed to take extra holidays in compensation but try and beg for these, you were only ever allowed to take low season holidays and of course all staff couldn't go on holiday at the same time in "low season" so you were lucky to get holiday at all the company preferred to pay you for the loss of holiday, staff are treated much better in the UK. Ok in some jobs your employer will pay your social security and tax contributions but this is a fairly low amount.

I would certainly recommend that anyone planning to work in Tenerife should consider the low wages and conditions and where possible look to taking advice on opening their own business, working for someone else in Tenerife will take a long time for someone to gain significant savings, positions offering company pensions, company cars, private health insurance, proper re-location packages etc... just don't seem to exist, even for highly educated job seekers, I have two university degrees and I certainly haven't found any decent job offers if anyone can proove me wrong then please let me know and I will send my CV off ASAP, and it isn't because Tenerife business economy can't allow for good job packages, the large hotel chains certainly can they just would rather exploit most of their workers which I think is really bad, becuase it limits the staff to continue on a treadmill of poorly paid jobs, from my experience of talking to employed people here, I think they find it really hard to save, and keep their familys, staff in Tenerife get locked into a situation where they can't leave to travel and look for better paid jobs, not because they aren't qualified, most of them are and speak several languages but because they just can't afford to move on and if you are lucky enough to get an ok paid job with fairly good working hours and even a fixed contract then you tend to stick it through without complaint because you know that it is practically impossible to find this criteria being offered in most available jobs. You really can't compare the working conditions to the rest of Europe or even Spain and yet the cost of living is comparative

I am so glad I left the employed treadmill and set up my own buisness things may be slow at the beginning but in the end it is worth it.

Cazten · 28th November 2006, 01:04

This could be an interesting debat judging by the answers so far. bwt, Fred Perry, I don't expect the wages here to be comparible to the uk, I was just using my old salary as an example.

Don't people find the cost of being self-employed here prohibitive? Some months you can pay out far more than you earn? But I guess that all depends on what level of autonomo you pay (if that's the correct term) I know there are different rates for self-employed. Isn't it all something to do with what you are covered for (health and social wise)? And whether you're full or part time etc....I really don't understand it very well.

Also isn't there some sort of contracts where you are actually working for someone, but paying your own seguridad social? How does that work then? Do you get a contract, but have to pay all the usual automomo taxes etc???

Can anyone explain?? please

Mike · 28th November 2006, 01:13

I would be quite happy to live on Tenerife with my own present income provided I could physically do that.

CVW · 28th November 2006, 01:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cazten

This could be an interesting debat judging by the answers so far. bwt, Fred Perry, I don't expect the wages here to be comparible to the uk, I was just using my old salary as an example.

Don't people find the cost of being self-employed here prohibitive? Some months you can pay out far more than you earn? But I guess that all depends on what level of autonomo you pay (if that's the correct term) I know there are different rates for self-employed. Isn't it all something to do with what you are covered for (health and social wise)? And whether you're full or part time etc....I really don't understand it very well.

Also isn't there some sort of contracts where you are actually working for someone, but paying your own seguridad social? How does that work then? Do you get a contract, but have to pay all the usual automomo taxes etc???

Can anyone explain?? please

Hi Cazten,

Did you read the sticky on know your working rights on the living in Tenerife section it's interesting I know that age is something that effects your social security payments becuase I'm youung I get a reduction.

Just was looking on the web site for the social security to see what info there is check this link out from the main Seguridad Social homepage it should be in English and has loads of info on Social Security payments benefits etc..
http://www.seg-social.es/inicio/?MIv..._Folder&LANG=6

mac · 28th November 2006, 08:57

Does the E:U: minimum wage not apply in the Canaries as it is part of Spain. I work in the hospitality industry and we have to give minimum wage to all workers (including immigrant) who are over 18 and trained (after 6 months approx) this meathey get 7.65 an hour.