The update includes changes to the salary figures, in line with inflation and comparative sectors. There are also changes to job examples given, but there will be no major differences to the guidelines until the next salary survey in 2008, said the MA.
The guidelines were launched less than a year ago to help bring salary levels in the museum sector in line with comparable sectors, including education and library services. They have already received support from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), among others.
Rebecca Jacobs, the MA's professional development and ethics assistant, said: 'We're trying for a dual attack on this, from individuals negotiating for better pay, talking to each other and raising awareness of the issue, but also from organisations such as the MLA, the HLF, the nationals and the larger organisations.' Jacobs said that there was already evidence of change but that it was going to be a 'slow process'.
The guidelines have received a mixed response so far across the sector. Maggie Appleton, Luton Museums Service manager, said it would be difficult if there was a post that the human resources department felt was junior and only related it to a lower salaried role elsewhere in the council.
'They wouldn't budge on it unless you can convince them that the job does have more responsibility,' she said. But she added: 'We do need the guidelines. If you work in a service that is struggling to pay people properly, they're absolutely critical.'
Bill Ferris, the chairman of the Association of Independent Museums, was sceptical. 'It's generally very, very difficult in a sector that is so diverse to come up with a one size fits all salary plan,' he said.
'Guidelines are great, they're an aspirational benchmark, but at the end of the day you can only afford to pay what you can manage to generate. If expectation gets raised too high then a lot of our membership will simply be out of the market.'
Anna Winston
The guidelines were launched less than a year ago to help bring salary levels in the museum sector in line with comparable sectors, including education and library services. They have already received support from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), among others.
Rebecca Jacobs, the MA's professional development and ethics assistant, said: 'We're trying for a dual attack on this, from individuals negotiating for better pay, talking to each other and raising awareness of the issue, but also from organisations such as the MLA, the HLF, the nationals and the larger organisations.' Jacobs said that there was already evidence of change but that it was going to be a 'slow process'.
The guidelines have received a mixed response so far across the sector. Maggie Appleton, Luton Museums Service manager, said it would be difficult if there was a post that the human resources department felt was junior and only related it to a lower salaried role elsewhere in the council.
'They wouldn't budge on it unless you can convince them that the job does have more responsibility,' she said. But she added: 'We do need the guidelines. If you work in a service that is struggling to pay people properly, they're absolutely critical.'
Bill Ferris, the chairman of the Association of Independent Museums, was sceptical. 'It's generally very, very difficult in a sector that is so diverse to come up with a one size fits all salary plan,' he said.
'Guidelines are great, they're an aspirational benchmark, but at the end of the day you can only afford to pay what you can manage to generate. If expectation gets raised too high then a lot of our membership will simply be out of the market.'
Anna Winston
