Salary Survey 2001

This Salary Survey provides an invaluable source of information on the scope and nature of the voluntary sector workforce.

It provides information on remuneration levels, occupations and job levels from chief executive level to administration support and covers a wide range of functions including fundraising, information and development and human resources.

Paid workers in voluntary and community organisations account for 5% of the total workforce,making the sector a significant employer in Northern Ireland. There are gaps in information on the sector that need to be filled to help make educated decisions on the future development of the sector.

Background to the research

This survey is built around four main aims including:

• Improved mapping of salaries in the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland.
• Providing reliable information to help develop pay policy.
• To provide a compendium of salary levels for job roles across the sector.
• Identification of basic human resource characteristics in the sector.

Research approach

• The research was based on a random sample measuring 10% of the voluntary sector population.
• The sample included organisations with paid workers and also takes into consideration the value of unpaid workers within the sector.
• The research was carried out in the form of a postal survey including questions on employees, salary levels, benefits, pensions, pay awards, terms and conditions of employment and salary scale.
• The survey included 758 large and small voluntary and community sector organisations, of which 350 (or 46%) responded.

Key findings

• 69% of the paid workforce in the voluntary and community sector is female, however, only 1.7% of females are employed in senior positions.
• 90% of organisations surveyed have contracts of employment for all staff.
• Just around 50% of organisations have annual automatic pay increments.
• 40% of organisations operate occupational sick and maternity pay schemes in excess of the statutory minimum.
• Within the voluntary and community sector 58% of all full and part-time employees are on permanent contracts.