Moving from the public to the private sector

[CoffeeWithMyOxygen]

I currently work in the public sector (local authority) and for various reasons am contemplating a move. One option is to move into the private sector on the consultancy/training side of things - can anyone who’s made the move from public to private sector roles give some insight into the contrast? Are work cultures/expectations vastly different? I know as a general rule pay and benefits are better in the private sector, but the public sector does come with quite a high level of job security through unions and HR, is this a factor? My currently workplace also has very good flexible working and is quite family-friendly, I’m interested to know how private sector employment compares. Obviously I know this is going to vary wildly between industries and companies but any input would be appreciated!

(I also know this is a terrible time to be job hunting but it’s currently speculative, I’m not about to jump ship without another role to go to)

I'm looking to move the opposite direction!

I have found that the benefits tend to be far worse in the private sector in terms of annual and sick leave and pension.

The private sector is not 'generic'.
Big corporations - probably not much different to what you have now, ie full HR departments, appraisals, 121 etc.

But, smaller organisations you get more variety.
So, maybe less 'policies and procedures' but maybe more opportunity for variety.

Not sure on the pay and benefits - pensions will be less generous defined contribution schemes.

The work culture is VASTLY different. I prefer private for lots of reasons. My experience of two public sector jobs (one local authority, one nhs) was that a few people did most of the work while a lot of people did not very much. And I know that that’s just MY experience, before the public sector workers pile on.

I hadn’t thought about pensions, that’s a very good point.

Something else for me to consider is maternity leave - I’m not pregnant but we’re definitely planning a second baby at some point. I expect maternity leave and pay is handled very differently in a smaller private company.

I moved a few years ago to large organisation. I was astounded at the sheer amount of money - we have training and coffee and tea, IT equipment that works. But yes, pension is terrible, pay about the same, culture totally different. It’s an interesting experience. I prefer it so far because I like the smoothness that comes with working somewhere that can afford to be run well. My dh is public sector middle management and clears the drains and cleans the toilets on occasion because there is no one else to do it.

I've worked extensively in both. Private sector moves at lightening speed compared to public, something urgent in Private means NOW, Public could mean a few days or more!

I my experience... Private sector has more accountability. The buck stops with you. Public sector, the buck never lands, just gets passed on to different departments, and no one has responsibility for completing tasks.

In short, I'd rather work in the public sector, but if I needed work done, I'd employ the private sector.

helpful🤣.

I work in the private sector for a company which used to be public sector and they have kept good T & Cs e.g. maternity pay so may be worth looking for somewhere similar?

Leaving local authority next month and whilst some of the flexibility is better, the culture is pretty toxic.

Toxic culture is my issue too @amgine - I’m fed up with pointless hierarchy and over-promotion oh people who can’t do their jobs. A genuinely incompetent person just passed their probation because they didn’t want to hurt his feelings and hoped he’d improve. He hasn’t, so now we have to do his work as well as ours.

I think moving now even to another part of the same sector is very risky, as last in first out usually applies. How the economy changes over the next two or three years is very uncertain.

Walking around the BBC at 5.01 pm is hilarious to private sector people. Literally everyone turning off their computer and walking out, whatever they were doing. You’d not last long in private sector with that approach but you would have access to all the supplies, hardware, software, business class travel you can eat. And catered meetings!

Pension has been a huge reason I’ve stayed in the public sector. My pension is fantastic and nothing in the private sector compared when I looked.

Even if you factor in the fact that private sector pension contribution is based on a much higher salary? So it’s really worth earning 30% less over the course of your career to get a better pension? (Are they still final salary?)

I used to work for the Local Authority and now work in the private sector and I don't regret or miss it at all. My workload is about a third of what it was, lovely workplace and wonderful, close group of colleagues who are able to bond with each other as we’re not constantly stressed and overworked. Two days extra annual leave is the same. Also am far more appreciated and truly enjoy my job. Only downside is the pension isn’t as good but my pay is significantly higher.

The pension isn’t a huge concern as I can easily set up a private pension scheme to top up on my own if needed. Does anyone have any experience of maternity leave in the private sector?

The problem is that even within sectors variation can be so great.
Job security is better in public on the whole though. DH's company made about 25% redundant at New Year, before covid19 was even on the horizon.

I don't have children but the maternity leave where I work now is the same as it was in the Local Authority. I think it really varies and often the higher wages in the private sector mean other entitlements aren't as good.

Working in a local authority I also got fed up with lack of accountability and how some staff were allowed to be downright lazy. Used to remind me of the card game 'Find the Lady' where the idea was to keep passing on the Queen of Spades as nobody wanted to end up holding it because of the penalty points incurred - every couple of years the worst-performing staff were shifted round to different locations instead of being managed and sacked! So, the security was good (we used to say that unless you punched the Mayor you had a job for life), but that's not a given any more. I would have liked some financial appreciation for extra work which never happened. So, if I could have done the same job in the private sector I would have jumped! Incidentally, all my mates still there are still on full salaries (no furlough etc) and a lot are wfh but not quite sure how as it was a customer-service dept.

After working in local authorities for years I moved to a private consultancy. Boy did I get my eyes opened. Made me realise how many lazy guts I worked beside in the Council. I’m glad I made the move. It was a small consultancy and I didn’t mind working hard because I worked hard anyway. It was refreshing to work beside professionals who actually got the job done.

Although the pension wasn’t as good we did get a bonus and were treated well.

Worked in both. Mat leave was same: I even got a bonus.

I see things in the public I like; more empathy, better pension although I have to overpay into mine to compensate for my rubbish salary, most people are gone within minutes of their finish time and take all their breaks, which is as it should be.

But you have a LOT of people that are literally chair warmers because they're so fucking hard to get rid of and incentivise. A LOT of time is wasted and a tiny thing is made into a VERY BIG DEAL by people that have too much time on their hands.

In the private sector there is less waste, more teamwork, more meritocracy (and bonuses) less tolerance for people not pulling their weight and a lot more energy. In the private sector it's accepted that sometimes decisions have to be top-down to ensure a rapid response. That's not to say that's a bad thing or that no decisions are not discussed, just an understanding that a camel is a horse designed by a committee.

I worked in both and prefer the private sector for all the reasons given above. A capable few carry far to many lazy and incompetent colleagues in the public sector. While the pension is good, the pay is better in private to compensate. Sick leave is only of benefit if you plan on abusing it which many do.

The biggest pull though is working with like minded people. It's just so nice to be in a much more professional environment.

I moved from private to public sector 15 years ago. It's a much easier life. Loads more flexibility and holidays. People who've worked there all their life think they're hard done by . I worked a lot harder in my private sector jobs.