AIBU to take a £10k pay cut to join the civil service

54 replies

DizzyIzzy2022 · 31/10/2025 07:38

Does anyone have any experience in working within a grade 7 role within the civil service? I've been offered a lawyer role, but a £10k pay cut to current role.

Thanks!

OP posts:

thesecondmrsdewinter20 · 31/10/2025 08:04

I did exactly this, in law too. I had a career change so don’t work in law anymore but the civil service was the best law job I ever had! Go for it!

The hours can be long, but nowhere near as bad as private practice, and that depends on the department you’re advising anyway. I found on the whole people to be nicer and the workplace culture to be much better.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 31/10/2025 07:42

Which department of the civil service? It's not homogenous. Different departments have different expectations of different grades.

As per PP, look at the full package - salary, benefits, holiday, etc.

Evaka · 31/10/2025 07:41

You may be better off in real terms when you factor in pension. Are you comfortable that You'll adapt to the culture? Private sector to CS may be a huge shock.

I work closely with two govt depts and my org has some CS tendencies and it's pretty wild how slowly things move, how little accountability there is.

stillhiding1990 · 31/10/2025 07:39

But your pension will be 1/3 so worth it. I’m a CS and here for the pension

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