people with cooshy jobs that don't get I have to work unpaid overtime, can't just take flexi days and only have 20 days holiday [title edited by MNHQ]

[twoopsie]

Just got back from a shit lunch meeting a friend. Takes 15 mins to walk there and only have a hour lunch break that I have to be back by. She was late so I just had a juice and raced back to the office. Spent maybe 10 mins with her.

She doesnt understand that I can't just take a super long lunch, that I can't do felxi time and have to be in work 5 days a week. Was also saying she couldn't see why I'm working Xmas eve and nye, when I have to as only get 20 days. Shes found it strange that I do any overtime without getting paid, when its just something you have to do, I don't love it either. Then she doesn't understand that I have to keep my performance up as if it slips, I'm out with 150 quid per year worked. No five / six figure payout!

I know some public sector jobs are run more like this these days,but not hers in the local town hall.

Sorry just having a rant, sleep deprived and sometimes feel like she's rubbing it in my face.

I suspect that only a small minority of public sector workers have these cushy conditions.

DH works in the public sector. He routinely does unpaid overtime and is often too busy to take time out for a lunch break. He does get more than 20 days holiday, but has to book holiday at least 6 weeks in advance, so no last minute days off, and no flexi time.

In terms of the above, my private sector job is much cushier than DH's public sector one.

So, yeah. Your problem isn't that public sector jobs are cushier than yours. Your problem is that your friend is behaving like an insensitive idiot.

But there are pro's and con's for all jobs.

I have teachers and police officers and the like amongst my nearest and dearest. They do an insanely difficult job. They work longer hours during their working week. They don't get breaks. Some have to work on Christmas Day not looking forward to explaining to DD why Daddy can't be with her all day. They don't get to request random days off during the week.

They do have a much, much better pension and maternity pay package than I do. Much better. Some get TOIL and overtime. Some get double-pay on public holidays. Some get 60 odd days 'holiday' a year (I'm certainly not stupid enough to think that teachers don't do work during their holidays or work longer hours during a working week, but it is still more holiday than some other professions). Many have unions and the ability to strike and protest their conditions.

I work in the public sector. I have statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay, no union representation, am at risk of a company going bust overnight and not being able to afford redundancy, get no overtime and TOIL, and have no pay bands/structure.

I do however sit at a desk all day, get a guaranteed lunchbreak, the ability to take holidays whenever I want, never have to work a public holiday, never have to work overtime, and in good times will get a bonus.

I know that you didn't entirely mean that you said, OP, and were pissed off with your friend.

I do wish people would start admitting that there just are good and bad points to all jobs, and that there are benefits for public sector workers over private sector, and equally for private sector over public.

Sorry, forgot, I do have a couple of paperclips at home that have found there way home from work. That'll be the perk of my 'cooshy' public sector job.

As of this year everyone can ask for flexitime. If it is in the interests of the company it gets granted, this applies to private and public sector. Although depending on your job, flexi is always refused in public
As well because it's not
Feasible.
Not many in ps jobs gets a hours break.
If
You are not getting 28 days you are not full time. A lot of ps workers also only get the statutory 28 days.
Any other leave such as parental wtc is available to all if requirements are met.
A lot of ps workers also have performance targets to meet.
I miss mine I loose my job.
I don't get paid overtime. In term time I give around 6 hours extra. In holidays i give my time. I don't always get a break.

The point is, everyone is getting screwed over.

I work in a town hall. I popped to the mini mart two weeks ago. That's the closest I've come to a lunch break since February.
Redundancy is I believe the statutory minimum. I got shedloads more redundancy from my last private sector job.

Yabu

You're falling for the Tories' plan to pit the public sector against the rest.

I know someone who gets Friday afternoon off during quieter periods and shit loads of holiday plus bonuses.

I know someone else who cannot take holidays at all during 6 months of the year as too busy. Works overtime (weekends and evenings) unpaid and has had fuck all payrises for years.

I know someone else who works flexible hours, can work at home whenever they like etc etc.

I know someone else who gave up their job as it was so stressful, every day their job was devalued, they had mountains of paperwork, worked all hours and no payrises.

Some were private sector, some were not.

I bet your issue is that you dont have a union being in the private sector. If you did then someone would fight your corner and you'd have at least marginally better conditions. Instead the execs at the top take all the ££££ and perks while people like you suffer.

You have an issue with your friend being thoughtless, not with public sector workers. I used to work in prison and yes we had flexi time and therefore could sometimes accumulate enough to take a long lunch if someone was leaving or something, but generally there was nothing cushy about it.

I think Thurlow sums it up really well.

Hahahahahaaaahahahhaaaaa. Ha. Oh. The OP isn't a joke? Maybe you can come and do my job OP, 13 hours, regularly no lunch break at all and if you do it's more likely to be at tea time, unpaid overtime galore - you'd have something to say if I just downed tools whilst you were delivering your baby - and I haven't had a payrise since oooh 2010ish. But you're right. You have a much worse deal than the cushy public sector workers.

Do I really need to apologise for the third time, this isn't really about public sector jobs in general, just my friends as she has the traditional benefits that I fully understand NHS workers and teachers don't have.

Its about the friend not the public sector as a pp said.

cushy job? hahaha

Yes my friend has but I know everyone doesn't. Tbh the cushy part is the important bit .

No flexitime, 30 minute unpaid lunch, unpaid overtime, paid a pittance, I do get more than 20 days holiday though.

Ooh op you've really annoyed me!

No one I know has this 'cooshy' job your describing!

I work sodding hard, yes I get flexi time but ask me when my last flexi day was....well I've not had one since I returned from maternity leave...yes I get 29.5 days leave a year but have been with them for 10 years!

I get no overtime yet work above my contracted hours, and never get my flexi! In order for me to have time off I need to make sure my work load is completed.

Oh and lunch breaks what are they? Ive worked through mine for the past few weeks so I Can have time off at Christmas (not by choice childminder is off)

Oh yes I have a really cooshy job

Grow up

Your thread title says "people"

"If your sole issue is with your friend's thoughtlessness (and you would have a definite point there) perhaps you should make it clearer.

NHS - 30 min lunch, no breaks, work nights/weekends/bank holidays. Unpaid overtime on a daily basis.

Old job in private sector 37.5 hours per week. Double time for overtime. Core hours 10-12 and 2-4. Could be as flexible as I liked outside of that.

Well the people was there as my dad had a easy LA job, with conditions that no way would exist thesedays.

If the conditions of your father's job are obsolete why are they relevant?

You have two problems

1. A thoughtless friend. Her thoughtlessness isn't linked to her working in the public sector. It's her personality.
2. You need to find a better job.

The public sector isn't cushy. Don't believe the hype. And don't turn on one another, identify the real problem (i.e. falling real wages levels and eroded working conditions for far too many people, irrespective of sector). Get angry about that and do something about it. (Hint, it is not ensuring that people who are currently treated decently get treated as badly as you).

Ah yes those whiney public sector workers like nurses, doctors, paramedics, firemen, police etc etc who never have to work christmas and get 'cushty' hour long lunch breaks... are you for real op?!

I was doing 55hour weeks whilst 36 weeks PG in my public sector job.
But of course, its so easy.
why don't you work in the public sector as it is so.easy?
Of course there's been no pay rise, not even cost of living for last 5 years in my role.
Your jobs so hard, yet you Have tint to MN?
Must be all that time you spend shaving your hands...

My Christmas will consist of being very quiet as my dh is nights Xmas eve so I don't want to wake him - not the best way to spend a Christmas day when I am actually off work for once (I have worked 17 out of the last 20). Then I will wave my dh off to work as he is doing a late shift. But hey, at least I have my cushy public sector job -the one where I have faced redundancy twice in 3 years, the one where it looks like I will face redundancy again in the next couple of years, as I will just have to hope I keep my job for the 3rd time. Maybe I could use my half hour lunch break to look for another job instead of taking a break from the abuse I face on a daily basis from the people I am trying to help. Lucky me.

Oh and I have taken a cut of around 13% I think it is in real tearns with no pay rises. Oh and my dh has also been on the same pay freeze.

I get where you are coming from sort of...
My friend is always saying "well finish work now" or "take a longer lunch"
He doesn't seem to get I need to say if I'm going to the toilet, I don't get a choice in the shifts I work, I can't pick when I finish, and I definitely can't decide whether I work christmas or not. Plus I don't get paid extra for it, it's just my shift

Oh dear twoopsie you didn't really think this through before hitting 'post message' did you?.