Working at a local authority

[Powergower]

I'm a lawyer with 10 year plus pqe. I've been offered a job in a local authority. The pay is a lot less than I get paid now. My current firm are good but the ages levels are high and I really hate the job. It's the same stuff all the time, it's difficult and complex, the billing and time posting targets mean there's no breaks during the day. I'm just generally fed up.

The new role I've been offered in the local authority is great, really dynamic with lots of autonomy and interesting projects. However the pay is crap and I feel like I'm going backwards career wise. However they have a great flex policy and the pension looks good. I feel ready to slow down a bit but just so scared of moving in case I hate it. The crazy thing is I'm not money motivated at all, but I've not gone down in pay when moving and feel disappointed in myself. Any local government out there? I need to let the LA know this week and I'll not sleeping with worry about what to do.

I've been looking in house for 6 months and there's nothing in my specialism. And the more I think about the more I'm ready for public sector flexibility and flexi days. I think some of my friends and colleagues will be shocked at a move to the LA.

Any advice?

I work for a LA, (not in law dept), so can only speak generally. There are core hours when we have to be at work, but we can work either 8-4, 9-5, 10-6 or a mix over the week. There is flexibility for home working, a wide range of discounts from local shops and services and a career average pension. Leave is 30 days + BHs and 1 additional bonus day which the LA gives over the Christmas / New Year break.

Thank you chottie. That's pretty similar to the offer I've been made. Can i ask re the flexi. If i want to work 8-4 does it have to be cleared by managers or can you decide as and when you want and just record your hours?

Every three years or so I’ve jumped ship between public sector, private sector and university. The public sector is a great place to work but only choose it if you are interested in the job rather than the benefits. There have been rounds of redundancies every year for the last 9 years and services have been cut to the quick. I’m not in the field of law, but generally public sector experience is highly valued by private firms. Many of them, particularly the big law firms, do work for the public sector so having someone with a working knowledge of the language, systems and structures (they’re almost impenetrable unless you actually work in that environment) is a real asset. Councils are risk averse and much of your work will have to go through committees, so you need to be robust enough to defend your work against elected members. All in all, I’d set yourself a 3 year plan and get that experience under your belt.

Thanks lelly. Does it worry you to have so many moves on your cv? This is my second in 3 years and i worry I come across as non committal. As for the role it had guaranteed central government funding for ay least 5 years so I think the stability wok be there. How do you cope with moving down in pay when going from public to private sector?

I'm hoping if i go for the job there'll be scope for promotion somewhere along the line and I can move up in pay.

Job security isn’t perhaps what you’d expect from a LA. You’d probably hate it and feel little benefit. Autonomy isn’t really permitted. I’d stay where you are.

I'd never even thought about job security! Just assumed public sector would be totally secure without redundancy. Lots to think about, arghhhhh.

I looked at this exact move 4 years ago when I was 12 years PQE. I had this offer, one back into PP and one to stay in-house (promotion). DH who has worked in LAs but not in law said I would hate the the bureaucracy, there is no autonomy as a PP posted. I took the in-house role - it was a step up so most of my weeks are around 50 hours but because I'm very senior I can work from home at times, take hours back for sports day etc (flexibility works both ways, I'm working overseas this weekend). I am autonomous and am paid twice as much as I would have been at the LA.

I'd advise you find out more about what life is really like at a LA. Whilst you might have autonomy within the department, you won't in the wider structure.

Depends on what your priorities are.

Local authorities generally offer a good package eg pension, annual leave, flexi time, lots of work from home etc but they normally pay below the public sector and are full of red tape, in the area I work (not law) it’s very repetitive.

really dynamic with lots of autonomy and interesting projects.

I would be utterly amazed if this is true. If it is please name the council/department because everyone else could learn something from them.

If you want better hours and pension and to take your foot off the gas crack on.

But the bureaucracy / inefficiency and “computer says no” policies are frankly mind melting and I couldn’t do it.

I doff my hat to long termers as I have no clue how anyone with half a brain stays sane...

I’d keep looking for in-house (okay money, nice hours and if you can get into senior council it suddenly gets quite good)

My current role is making me feel quite ill. The more I got my targets they higher they become. I'm moving mainly for more wfh and less of a target driven environment. I've worked in the public sector years and years ago and I left because I felt the people there were not interesting in progressing projects and so I am aware of s.oke oof the bureaucracy. I've never worked in LA. My preference is in house but my area is very niche and in the last year no roles have come up. And I don't know how long I can keep up the pace at my current firm. It is relentless although the people are great. I just have this nagging feeling that if i move I might regret it.

Never take a LA job for security as that ship sailed a long time ago. Redundancy is very common in all departments now.

I don’t work in law but work in a LA and my work requires input from the legal department. I love the flexibility of working in a LA and find that I can dictate the hours I work and they are very family friendly. Downsides are that everyone is very overworked and so you’ll be dealing with a high workload. I would find out how many other lawyers you will be working with to gauge what the workload will be like and really get an idea of the projects you’ll be working on. Saying that I love working for a LA and plan on staying in one for as long as possible.

Hi, I've just moved to LA work after 20 years in private practice (legal aid). The pay is far more than I'd expected!
The perks are good - pension, flexi, discounts etc. Having the time to research the law is a wonderful luxury too.
However, I'm finding the difference in work practices tricky to manage. The structure is impenetrable (a bit like bus timetables!), it's all open plan and hot desking which I HATE, and there is no autonomy. The pace is much much slower - I find I'm bored quite a lot - I'm used to having no time to breathe during the day. On the plus side, for the first time in my life, people think I'm massively efficient because I get stuff done quickly 😁

BUT, it is much less stressful and I don't miss targets! The benefits outweigh the negatives so far, and I feel that I have the time to make myself a much better lawyer than I was.

I work for a LA (not in law) ime the culture varies a lot between authorities. I now work for a City Council in a vibrant, studenty City. They are quite innovative, creative and forward thinking. There is still quite a lot of 'computer says no' culture tempering that though. Working for a rather more staid County Council in a wealthy rural area is totally different.

Re how flex time works, obviously it will depend on the rules of the exact scheme but I can plan my own time. So long as I work the core hours (10 - 12 and 2 - 4) I can come and go as I please.

Re redundancy - now far more common in the public sector than it used to be but you'll probably find they treat you well if affected. Plenty of consultation and notice, probably enhanced pay off (but still not megabucks) and probably strenuous efforts at redeployment too.

I've asked about the projects and they are really high value and interesting. There's about 9 lawyers and 8 of them have been there for 10 plus years. They seem really happy by all accounts. It's a big city centre council with a massive young population. Big student city. The flexi benefits are far greater than other councils up north abbr they have an excellent training programme. I was worried there'd be no training or precedents but they have large external city firms who take care of all that.

I just want to be able to go on holiday without killing myself beforehand making my hours, and come back without having to make up missed hours for that month. I'm mid 40s so still want good work but am also ready to slow down a bit. I can't tell you the amount of drafting and negotiating I do which requires hours but has to be done very quickly. I want to be able to thoroughly review a document, check clauses, research the law etc etc. This feels like moving in house but without the pay, reputation, big works parties (our Xmas party costs the firm millions), free lunches etc. But also without the stress and time posting.

Still massively undecided because so much to think about and I hate change.

I deal with LA solicitors regularly through my job. They seem under pressure at all times, due to round after round of cuts, meaning one solicitor could be dealing with all cases in a particular subject area, despite some of these cases require hours of work. If it's a slower pace you are looking for, I would make sure the LA you are considering has a decent roster of staff

Friends working for district council seem to love it... Friends working for county councils have more challenges. One was at Northamptonshire CC before shifting to a neighbouring county, so of course anything was improvement after that.

I'd ask around among current employees about morale, etc.

I've always worked for an LA (not in law). If you're not motivated by money and need to slow down- definitely consider it. Other than that; do your research. You have no autonomy over what you'd like to do (in my role at least- everything has to be approved by the manager's manager's manager's manager kind of thing), the red-tape is frustrating and I've come across demotivated people (across the various departments) who are massively incompetent (and therefore the weakest link that delay everyone else in their jobs too) because they're in a role that that's easy and they have no incentive to change. Things that you might come across in the corporate world too but frustrating nonetheless. If your current job is making you ill, get out quickly- no two ways about it but maybe consider different organisations/companies too?

Ps. The fact that the other lawyers have been there for a long time is a plus but due to a lack of progression (common in LAs) they may also be territorial and may hold the cards re: who gets to do what. As a newbie from a non-LA background, you may have to earn your stripes before you're taken seriously? But that's more interpersonal relationships kind of stuff and you'd get that anywhere- LA or not. Just be careful. Wishing you the best of luck whatever you decide.

Depends which LA you work for but I work for a large county one on different projects. I do have autonomy within reason and a career path. Our council changing, it is much more dynamic than it used to be with plans for big change over the next two decades. Job security is I would say not a huge issues as if your department has funding for five years that is probably fixed. At that point, if your job becomes at risk you can apply for redeployment or move on. Local authorities are always going to need lawyers!

I love the flexibility and my colleagues have been 99% lovely across three different departments. I have heaps of work (thanks to staff cuts) but I can go to all the sports days, school plays I want to or leave early as required. At our council we just log our hours, build up flexi and claim it or work it back up. I get 27 days holiday, and they are great with compassionate leave and good other benefits.

I also personally like working for somewhere with a public interest ethos. I don’t work in law though so have no comparison to private sector law firms.

I'm not sure if every LGPS scheme is the same, but I believe local government pay about 14% in pension contributions? So add that to your pay and compare to your current salary and pension package for a more accurate comparison.

I guess it's working out if you can afford the pay cut, I assume it is still a good wage but perhaps not what you are used to. If you think you'll enjoy it more that's paramount, and look at the career path as a whole- is there progression? Head of Legal for example?

Depends what your priorities are. I work in the public sector (not in law) but one of my colleagues was working in law and came into the public sector to get a life basically. He is earning less but the pressures are less. We have spoken about it a bit and he would never go back to the high pressurised environment that he worked in before. For context, he is guy in his 40s. Loves his holidays (mentioned that he was expected to respond to urgent emails when he was on leave before, now there is no expectation), he gets lots of leave, and lots of flexible working - 2 days a week he WFH, although he could do more.

When it comes to work life balance it's got to be the public sector but if you want to still think you are in the game and earning lots of money, then it would not be for you.

I think as you get older you question what you are doing. I have mentally pulled back in work (don't volunteer as much), no longer ambitious and love the flexibility of my role. I am bored in my role but I can find plenty to do when I am not at work to alleviate the boredom. It depends on what stage you are. It sounds as if you want a bit more of a life, so I would go for it, adjusting your mindset to one where you are not going backwards so much, as creating a new life.

I am a lawyer in a LA. The work is high value and fascinating. My counterparts on transactions are partners in large regional or London firms. It's hugely underpaid for the level of work, but that is more than made up for because it is so family friendly a lifestyle.

The specifics of how Flexi works varies between local authorities, and even between managers within an authority.

Pm me if you have any questions

Not law but education for an LA.

Repeated restructures (redundancy), changes to terms and conditions ( a year's restrictive covenant on independent working if you leave), pay cuts - £5,000 this time, no CPD ( no money), structure 'flattened' to take out senior roles (so little promotion), travel expense cuts and changes to qualifying distances ( I already pay over half of the costs of visits made on LA business), log in systems to record work focus ( in 15 minute slots so everything is accounted for), no time for breaks or lunch, no 'desk', (all are hot desks' and not enough for the whole team), not enough car parking spaces ( unless you arrive by 7.30am all those available have gone), undervalued, little team support or ethos, little understanding of roles by elected members (who decide by political stance and their need to be elected rather than with integrity and optimum outcomes for children), no free 'sundries' ( need to buy own tea, coffee, milk),and own lunch if at meetings ( even if they are in a hotel). Have to sign out every A4 book I use ( easier to buy my own). Territorial departments, who all 'look after their own' and don't know enough about what other departments do. System for booking overnight stays ( if approved) which give no choice ( even if your own choice is cheaper). TOIL but only for evening work of 3 hours or more, excluding travel times ( one of my evening meetings is a 2 hour drive each way), TOIL allowance of 9 days, after that I can't claim, Terms and conditions around when I can take holidays, how many days together and how many can be tagged onto a public holiday.

There is a reduction in the current restructure of 60% of staff. A restructure completed a year ago reduced jobs by 30%. Redundancy calculations capped at 20 years.

I've not worked in the private sector so no comparisons to make ( some of he above might help you to ask questions) but feel very undervalued doing what is a vital role in developing good educational outcomes for children.

I work for a LA.Work 8-4 every day. I work slightly longer hours if I want to build up flexi hours (can take 1-2 days off per month). The pension and flexibility are great.