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.

Thanks, one can only hope she looses these benefits then has to deal with normal working conditions

Bah Humbug to all.

Not understanding the difference between your working conditions is an understandable irritation. Jealousy and actively wanting poorer conditions for your friend doesn't come over well.

I know it's annoying when friends don't understand that their working conditions are better than yours (and I've heard as much of that sort of thing from private sector workers as I have from public sector ones. You get insensitive idiots in all lines of work)

But it sounds really mean to say that you hope she loses these benefits. She's not to blame for the fact that your working conditions aren't as good as hers.

But there's nothing wrong with he OP's working conditions. She's perfectly happy. No problems at all.

So that's your solution: not to try and win back better working conditions for everyone but to take them away from the few people who may (possibly) still have them? Really?

That was tounge in check. She's got outdated cushy working conditions, if she gloats them in my face I can joke about her joining the real world.

op, its fine to be pissed off, some people just do this to you

if your friend has a cushy job shes a lucky sod

but loads of public sector jobs arent like this, dh's sure isnt

I have a cushy public sector flexi job.
It also causes me sleepless nights and means I am party to some horrid information ( although only in word form not frontline thank god)

I work in the public sector. Can anyone tell me how I might go about getting a cushy public sector job? Because the one I'm in at the moment certainly aint - remind me to bring that up at my next review with my manager, I'm sure she'll be delighted to accommodate my requirements

The job itself was incredibly stressful, full on for the hours you were there, responsibilities WAY above pay grade, never even a moment to think - but general terms and conditions were fantastic... they had to be - NOBODY would have worked there otherwise

Just read this...ha ha that is it in a nutshell

I've just realised how much I love where I work. And I don't think it's that unusual to get £55k + in London with private healthcare and flexible working. And as for lunch hours. Jeez. I'm a professional. Sometimes I take an hour. Sometimes I eat a sandwich at my desk. Sometimes I take 2 hours of lunch if there's something that needs to be done. It probably evens out to be about right. BUT Never ever has anyone asked me to justify where I am. As long as my work is done I can do it when and where I want. I don't think this is unusual as our whole company has this ethos. I'm in private sector.

Your friend is taking the Mick. The rest of the public sector generally aren't. I've worked over a decade in both sectors. You get Mickey takers in both. FWIW I have consistently worked longer and harder for less money in the public sector, than I evr did in the private sector.

I have a "cooshy" job; I work flexitime, mostly from home, doing something I love. I'm not public sector, I just get paid a lot less than my skill and qualification level.

Your friend is being very insensitive, but perhaps she has made compromises that are not visible to you? My better paid friends often jet off for expensive spa weekends which I can't join them for. It's a good trade for seeing all my children's school plays, but sometimes it doesn't feel like it!

i've always been a bit envious of private sector workers with awesome company cars, family package private health care, great mat leave package and fab pensions

but guess what?

my mates with those kind of packages are v well qualified professional types. in their jobs, these are just the normal perks. if i was that bothered, i would have worked in their sectors, not mine.

some private sector jobs have great perks

yours and other posters does sound crappy. no pension (honestly?? is that even legal now), just stat minimum mat leave, no sick pay until 7 days. yeah, i think that is crap. stop being jealous n look for a better job

A hour for lunch!!? Luxury!

OP there are jobs with those benefits, I have one of them. However, I often don't get to take my flexi time so I lose it. There's no overtime ( and I do a lot of hours) and I can be called on anytime to sort something out.

I have been called on Xmas eve while queuing up to see Father Christmas, on holiday while queuing for a ride at a theme park and have been working on the blackberry in the taxi on the way to the airport (holiday, not business travel).

You have seen the perks your friend has, but you probably haven't seen the downsides.

DH is in the private sector, has been given all if Xmas off in addition to his leave, he gets a bonus if the company does well and world from home pretty much all the time.

There are pros and cons to all jobs.

Your friend is incredibly rude to be late if she knows you have a fixed hour for lunch. I think that's the issue you need to get sorted.

no pension (honestly?? is that even legal now)

No it's not legal unless the firm employs about two people. I'm sure every company over a certain size (not large) has to provide some kind of stakeholder pension.

Think they all (or pretty much all) will have to offer a pension scheme by some point in 2015. Certainly don't have to offer gold plated ones.

And looks as though they don't have to be offered to those earning less than 10k a year. Nicely rules out a significant number of women.

On the pensions issue: Most people in the UK amazingly work in very small companies often with only 2 or 3 employees and separately many people are self employed like I am. Many of these have no employer pension nor are obliged to have them by law.

The new auto enrolment pensions only apply to employees over age 22 I think and for new small employers only start in 2018 (and 2017 for small newer employers). When and if they do come in the starting employer contribution I believe was 1% although I think that rises over time (The old stakeholder pensions I believe did not apply to people with 5 or fewer staff so not much help to many employees). So yes huge numbers of British workers are not required by law to have any kind of pension at all expect the state pension when they reach state pension age which for me is almost age 70 so quite a long way to go.

Lol @ expecting a state pension!

What age are you? I'm not sure anyone under 45 will ever get one.

Twoopsie are you at work?, you seem to have an awful lot of time to mnet?

I just got my quote from the Government actually. It will be £123 a week. Anyone over 50 I think it is can write now and obtain a quote. I will have paid in 45 years of continuous national insurance contributions with no breaks at all when I get the princely sum of £123 a week. I did opt out of SERPs for about 4 years when I was employed and I think that is why it is less than it otherwise might be. I am not holding my breath.....

Well you may think 123 a week isn't much, but your one of the winners with the state pension.

Currently if you get no state pension as you never worked you get pension credit and housing benefit. I suspect that is the same as the £123 and thus bothering to work for some over 40 years would not have been worth while.