 Poster: A snowHead
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My daughter is taking a year off from University to work in a ski resort as a general assistant. She has found a job with a ski travel company and has just received her contract. They ask for a £100 bond upfront, you pay your own ski insurnace and ski pass (which is paid back if you do the whole season). They offer a salary of around £1100 which after taking off food, lodgings etc comes down to £150 pm. I have warned her that she therefore may have to pay tax and NI on this.
Obviously she is not in it for the money, but I think it is a bit of con. Can anyone tell me if this type of arrangement is the norm? If not are there better out there
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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seems a little strange that they don't provide ski pass and insurance up front.. is she on a contract with an english tour operator or with a local company.
but yep you don't do it for the money, that's for sure..
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You buy your own seasonal skipass at a discounted rate and if you survive the whole season they reimburse you. They have medical insurance but you need seperate ski insurance which is £80. It is with an english tour operator
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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There is a lot of information here http://www.natives.co.uk/
The deal for school leavers is not good. My daughter worked 2 seasons for Esprit, who employ a lot of young people. She got free- accommodation (shared cramped rooms), ski pass, equipment hire (not great), insurance, food, unlimited chalet wine and cake, money (about 40 euro a week, tips (0-150) plus small end of season bonus, and a day off per week. The work was long 7-10 then 4-9/10 each day and all day on change over. She loved it and did two seasons.
The up front money sounds a bit of a con, it used to be common but the TOs can cancel both the pass and insurance whenever they want, and as there is a high drop out rate so often have to.
Its unlikely that she will have to pay much tax on what she will earn.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Sounds pretty standard to me. I think it was brought in to stop people taking more than one job and then deciding which one to actually go to at the last minute thus leaving the ops in the lurch. Lots of people quit at Christmas/ January so the lift pass thing is understandable although a bit unfair.
She will have enough money to eat, drink and be merry which is what its all about 
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Nadenoodlee, mostly seems reasonable - though the ski insurance thing seems a bit tough. Should she expect to be covered by employer's liability and health insurance for anything apart from skiing?
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It seems that it is pretty standard then. Personally I wanted her to have a large room with floor space for me and the wife to sleep on.
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kevducky, 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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kevducky, If she's having a year off she's got from now to Xmas to earn enough to rent a palatial apartment (which would accomodate you & the missus) and the pocket money she'd get from a full time job - bumming beats working any day.
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achilles, why woudl they pay for you to be insured for something you do in your free time? her job role is as a general assistant and she is insured and protected by their insurance as such. Obviously if they were a nice (non stingey) company they would be realistic and cover their employees for skiing too (mine did!) but there are alot of big business TO's who view seasonal staff as a leach on their profits rather than their greatest asset.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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achilles, why woudl they pay for you to be insured for something you do in your free time? her job role is as a general assistant and she is insured and protected by their insurance as such. Obviously if they were a nice (non stingey) company they would be realistic and cover their employees for skiing too (mine did!) but there are alot of big business TO's who view seasonal staff as a leach on their profits rather than their greatest asset.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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kevducky, that would be Skiplan/Equity then. Paying upfront for your lift pass isn't usual, but the rest of it is fairly standard for the GA position. She could get paid slightly more elsewhere, but Skiplan is a reasonably good company to work for, which certain others offering similar hotel positions ......... aren't. Be warned that the rental kit she will be offered isn't brilliant and she will only be supplied skis, not a board. If she's owed a birthday present before she goes then I suggest ski boots or board/boots (whichever she does, and assuming she doesn't already have it).
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| .....she will only be supplied skis, not a board. ...... |
So the company is doing something for the community then. 
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You know it makes sense.
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She can't wait. She has to put her 3 prefered resorts down. We are having family arguments, she is putting LDA, Deux Alpes and Saalbach. I want her to do austria as the beer is cheaper. The company is Equity. Travelled with them, they did seem quite good. Basic holidays but so what!!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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 PSA LDA = Deux Alpes
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Poster: A snowHead
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kevducky, ah! But at LDA she has easiski and Lizzard on hand for wise, albeit to the point, advice. Not to be sneezed at!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| achilles wrote: |
| kevducky, ah! But at LDA she has easiski and Lizzard on hand for wise, albeit to the point, advice. Not to be sneezed at! |
Can she scrounge money if she is short rather than begging off me 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| kevducky wrote: |
| achilles wrote: |
| kevducky, ah! But at LDA she has easiski and Lizzard on hand for wise, albeit to the point, advice. Not to be sneezed at! |
Can she scrounge money if she is short rather than begging off me |
You really are playing with fire now!
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achilles, none of them ever listened to my advice when I was their manager, can't see why that should have changed just because I'm now some random piece of resort furniture.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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No 1 Beaumont son is looking too. Speaks French, German and some Italian, but he's not had a great deal of luck so far.
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Sorry Arno. I meant Alpes Huez.
Helen-- No1 son should have no problem speaking other languages. maybe he just needs a push in the right direction.
I think esprit are doing an interview roadshow in October
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kevducky, I know. Not sure he's cut out for Esprit though. He's likely to have all the kids over-excited. He has 7 small cousins who worship him but they always end up shrieking and screaming when he is around.
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Helen Beaumont, languages are generally less important than experience in customer service/sales/catering/bar work. And more of the popular jobs than usual are going to go to returners, as there is sod all work in the UK. Some lowering of sights is going to have to be done by the newbies.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Lizzard, very probably, and he doesn't have much work experience to speak of. Lancaster, being a small town , is not awash with jobs. He might be off to an Esprit open day on Wednesday in Manchester. He is the type that will sell himself far better in person than on paper.
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| Quote: |
| They offer a salary of around £1100 which after taking off food, lodgings etc comes down to £150 pm |
£1,100 per month?!? Wow, generous. 
On the grounds that she is paid net, then only the £150 counts as earnings for UK purposes.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/eim34030.htm
Is she going to be UK tax resident during 09/10 anyway?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kevducky, My #1 son did a season with Equity in Austria. He was a sous chef.
He had an absolutely fantastic time. Your daughter will love it.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| cad99uk wrote: |
kevducky, My #1 son did a season with Equity in Austria. He was a sous chef.
He had an absolutely fantastic time. Your daughter will love it. |
Which resort was he at. we went to Schladming with Rocket ski. Hence how she got the interview
Actually the company who is doing the Roadshow in October are snowbound. Thanks for the tip about Esprit though, I will get her to go to the openday in Manchester. However after speaking to her I think she is set on equity/rocket ski.
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kevducky, He was in Schladming for the 2004/05 season at the Hotel Rossl. I can not think of anything negative about his season.
My #2 son did a season in Courchevel 1850 in 07/08 with Skiworld as a kitchen porter/night porter. I would also recommend Skiworld as a reliable employer.
Oh to be young again.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Mon 17-08-09 19:38; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
| They offer a salary of around £1100 which after taking off food, lodgings etc comes down to £150 pm. I have warned her that she therefore may have to pay tax and NI on this. |
wow ! 150 per month for 6 days a week work.
How sad is that.
Its wonder that some snowhead philantrhopist cant do better than that !
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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nixmap, yes but if they do a good job, they'll get tips every week from quite a few people. Would "some snowhead philanthropist" equal that?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Not to mention the ski pass, which gets paid for even if it is at the end of the season. Some even pay an end of season bonus. Not that it amounts to much, but............... it's better than nothing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
the company who is doing the Roadshow in October are snowbound
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SkiBound, I think you'll find. And I wouldn't bother with the Esprit thing, to be honest - you hear very mixed opinions from former staff, whereas feedback regarding Skiplan/Equity is in the main positive.
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£1,100 per month?!? Wow, generous.
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Er, what exactly did you expect for a waiting/cleaning position open to totally inexperienced school leavers? It's more than minimum wage, which is the most they could expect elsewhere.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| maggi wrote: |
| nixmap, yes but if they do a good job, they'll get tips every week from quite a few people. Would "some snowhead philanthropist" equal that? |
Greeat question.
Not sure I am qualified to comment but, I guess it would depend on what they did, and if what they did exceeded expectations or not. I could certainly imagine tips coming from guests in private weekend homes might well be apporoprate in some cases. Certainly it would depend on the opinion of the guest which is a strictly private matter.
In England for example, I was taught, is the custom to tip the staff at a private house in which you have been a guest. This should be upon leaving, and somewhat more generously than at a hotel as house guests are 'unexpected work' rather than part of the day job.
It should be done as unostentatiously as possible.
Your host will appreciate this last evidence of good taste, since it is a prevailing fiction that he knows nothing about it.
Personally In dont think its objectionable, unless you end up with a queue of staff holding out their hands as you leave, or the host encouraging the guests in any way.
A tip after all is an unexcpected gift. Its one of those querky things that as soon as it is expected by either side, the entire concept is void.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| Not to mention the ski pass, which gets paid for even if it is at the end of the season. Some even pay an end of season bonus. Not that it amounts to much, but............... it's better than nothing. |
Er, No it isnt,
That is such a bad message to send out.
Its entirely dependent on your opinion of what you are expected to do for that money.
I would expect there are some well known jobs, that you personally wouldnt do for any money.
Unless Ive seriously misjudged you of course.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yiou actually get paid £160pm, as well as a £50pm bonus at the end of the year. A bar tab, meals, accomodation, ski hire, skipass. Fantastic time, the lads at Schladming were able to ski for half a day each day.
i admit it isn't a career, but I wish I had done something like this. The wife and I are pondering whether or not to do a sabbatical in a couple of years and run a chalet
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| kevducky wrote: |
Yiou actually get paid £160pm, as well as a £50pm bonus at the end of the year. A bar tab, meals, accomodation, ski hire, skipass. Fantastic time, the lads at Schladming were able to ski for half a day each day.
i admit it isn't a career, but I wish I had done something like this. The wife and I are pondering whether or not to do a sabbatical in a couple of years and run a chalet |
So you still think its a con?
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Lizzard, been told by the grumpy one upstairs that Equity have filled all their positions anyway, so he is still of to Esprit in Manchester.
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Do I think it is a con? I had no idea how things worked in Skijobs so had no other figures to base my conclusion on. Hence why I bow to the more knowlegeable ones on this site. If it is par for the course and they look after to you, then I'm happy
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Off with ski bound as night porter this coming season, £100 bond paid but getting £200 after everything is taken out per month. Ski insurance is included (including off-piste and yes I've seen the insurance policy), ski pass included, travel, food etc. So I think that paying your own ski pass and insurance is a bit harsh (even if you get it back)!
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sounds scammy as hell. there are better out there.
a basic chalet girl job should be:
- ~50-60 quid a week with the additional potential of a bonus at the end of the season (100-200)
- bond is normal, but lift pass and decent insurance should be paid by the company not out of pocket by staff
- transport to and from france should be included
- accommodation of course should be included
- most tour operators include similiar/same breakfast and evening meals as guests
- some form of access to the kitchen for sandwiches during the day
with the setup you describe, the company can all too easily find a reason to not reimburse her lift pass and insurance at the end of the season.
as a note, make sure she buys an additional 30 euro carte neige insurance for evacuation off the mountain as even good british TO insurance doesn't include coverage for off-piste.
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FAQ
