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.

This is why we need decent unions. You are clearly not getting properly paid or receiving your legal holiday entitlement.

Agreed fairy, many benefits do encourage people not to be frugal / save as your better off if you just blow all your money. My employer gives the legal min, I'm not arguing for outdated / unaffordable working practice's like final sallery pensions as I'm high up in the company and know they would bring us under.

What company employs senior staff with such a poor grasp of spelling and grammar, I wonder?

Apart from a fictitious one, that is.

tis bollocks anyway - who wants to "exist" on state benefits - I saved all through my working life because I want a decent life when I retire - don't care about others getting benefits that I won't (they do need them after all) - I will have more anyway because I planned for it.

The traditional understanding for public sector workers was that you got paid less than the private sector, but you'd get good working conditions and a decent pension.

Now, public sector workers haven't had a payrise for three years, can whistle for their pension, AND are getting blamed for the state of the country (nothing to do with all those tax-dodging multinationals and bankers, of course ).

OP, YABU for being exasperated by your friend's lack of understanding. You'd BVU and mean-spirited if you seriously thought the solution was to make it worse for her and the rest of the public sector.

And I don't think flexitime is cushy, BTW. I did it for years and have never worked harder in my life. It was a courtesy from my employer that I appreciated hugely and so made sure I always gave my best - that's what a good modern workplace should be.

YANBU about your friend, of course. Not YABU. Sorry.

Teacher here too. Cushy 40 minute lunch break everyday!!! And i spend it doing 20 minute detentions, photocopying, and, if im lucky getting a brew AND a wee!!! And expecting to go in on your day off to do parents evening or open evening for 4 hours because thats not work...

Which jobs give a 6 figure payout when you get sacked?! Ill be applying for that one...

If you dont like your terrible job which only gives you an hour for lunch, get a new job.

I have to say I had a cushy public sector job out of Uni. There was nothing to do- for my entire department, some of whom were pretty highly paid (the £55k insurance guy gets isn't particularly unusual and my manager at the time was on close to this, 10 years ago )
We sat there twiddling our thumbs- I managed 8 months before I cracked and left. At 23 I was paid £25k PA with generous holidays, flexi time and other benefits. I do
Suspect, looking back, a lot of that was new labour boom time, throwing money at the public sector.

On the downside we had disgusting old decrepit offices, had to buy our own milk, no break out area, crap IT and it was boring as hell. And attracted whingers and the work shy. I was very unhappy there.

My job is great now- private sector great benefits, Xmas shut down, 27 days holiday and good pay. No bonus though, boo. Also I earn more than insurance guy and don't get business class travel- what's that all about??

if you are high up in the company, why not look for another employer with better working conditions. you could get loads of perks although possibly not an hour lunch break.

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.

Realistically, how can a person afford to run a house of 10k a year?
that's £833 a month, rent where I live is £695 a month, (about 8.5k over the year -that's about the cheapest I could find.), then there is gas electric and water to pay for, then council tax. If I earned that I'd already have less than nothing. to be "forced" to pay into a pension, told it's required by law etc would break me if that's what I earned, I know at 1% we're only talking about £8.30 a month, but that could be gas for the month, or electric etc... when people already struggle to keep the heating on...

I have to say I had a cushy public sector job out of Uni. There was nothing to do- for my entire department, some of whom were pretty highly paid (the £55k insurance guy gets isn't particularly unusual and my manager at the time was on close to this, 10 years ago hmm)
We sat there twiddling our thumbs- I managed 8 months before I cracked and left. At 23 I was paid £25k PA with generous holidays, flexi time and other benefits. I do
Suspect, looking back, a lot of that was new labour boom time, throwing money at the public sector.

On the downside we had disgusting old decrepit offices, had to buy our own milk, no break out area, crap IT and it was boring as hell. And attracted whingers and the work shy. I was very unhappy there.

My friend still has one of those kind of jobs, full of unproductive people just waiting for their pensions...

No one runs a house on 10k a year, if you have 2 kids with all the benefits its something like the a job on 30k+.

Oh dear. Oh very dear.

OP, you're friend is an insensitive lump so YNBU.

BUT

YBVVVVU to have such a dig at public sector workers, then make it worse by saying you only meant town hall workers. Deep sigh. Perhaps you'd like to explain to my doctor, who signed me off for 4 weeks with exhaustion, that it is just a cushy job ....... yup, I get a decent pension, but any lunch break to meet a friend needs to be planned literally weeks in advance, and is subject to change. Like my leave arrangements, which got cancelled 4 times in a row due to work requirements.

As I said Deep Sigh. And you're defence you only meant those town hall workers has left me shaking my head. You know, there are always people who find themselves on a cushy number while others around them work themselves senseless, happens in ALL sectors.

Bah humbug.

Regarding public vs private and cushy jobs, I've worked in both.
I work in IT, and worked at a university, now it's fair to say that if you do a good job things don't break, (I very much subscribe to the do it right and do it once style of working) I spent a lot of time in that job sat in my office sleeping.
There was Christmas shut down, so holiday after that was only about 14 days, which is 28 - 7 for public holidays -a week for Christmas. but you put up with it because "factory fortnight" exists in the public and private sectors, being told when you need to use your pay is not a new thing, and not limited to either sector.
Benefits included a not unreasonable pension, being on that weird spinal pay scale where regardless of whether I worked hard or not I'd get a pay rise year on year plus an inflationary pay rise until I reached the top of my band. subsidised child care, cheap meals on-site etc in either staff or student canteens.
I found it boring, I left.

Now I work in the private sector, the same level job actually paid about the same. (so it probably is fair to say that either the public sector job was over paid -when the other benefits to that job were considered etc, or the private sector job was underpaid since took home the same amount of cash but without additional benefits) [though for balance the very first place I worked was a private sector job and they had a very nice matched contribution scheme] -anyway the long and the short of what I'm saying is, moving from the public to the private sector meant a more rigid time table, (I had no leeway on arrivals e.g must start at 7am, must be there at 6:50 must stay till ten minutes past shift ends as well (all unpaid OT) for hand overs etc, and less benefits, and only the same money. -so you'd look at the public sector vs private sector one there and say that it was very nice!

now I've become more senior in the [private sector] company "conditions" are better, there is a bit more leeway and understanding that "shit happens and I might be a bit late" I can often work from home regularly, I might come in early because I need to leave early there are even bonuses...

Crucially, you might think that I was mad to have left the public sector job. until you get to the last bit and find that in the private sector it is possible to progress, whilst in my public sector job it was nearly impossible. essentially I left the security and benefits of the public sector job because nothing and no-one there could motivate me, I was just bored and starting to feel that I was wasting my life.

My other half works in the public sector in the ambulance service.
So I know a lot of people in this sector.
and I can say the following things.

• yes, they will work 12 hour shifts, and then be stuck basically forced to do overtime, sometimes day after day
• yes, they are busy. sometimes manically so, like you can't catch a breath and it's a wonder that people haven't died.

but, the key words are sometimes.

• they are not busy all the time, it wasn't that long ago that my other half was saying that they'd spent the whole 12 hour shift over night "on standby" reading a book because it wasn't busy.
• even if there is not a situation of "no work" for a shift, there are often downtime periods, and a chance to have a nap.
• even though they work long shifts, on average they work the same length working week. 37.5 hours, except that they often get to sleep for some of it.

They can of course leave and work for private companies, get more money and better immediate conditions (shorter shifts etc), and then get contracted back by the NHS...

So, I've seen both sides of the fence, and I'd happily do either again. No one roll is particularly cushier than the other. when you look at a whole, pay benefits, conditions how happy it makes you etc.

Wages and benefits have been "eroded" in both

If you are in the private sector and feel really hard done by then apply for a job in the public sector. and visa versa.

I do however feel that sometimes people in the public sector can become out of touch. -not just politicians.
I'm sure I remember in the local news a councillor justifying his pay saying that basically he was the head of a company with a huge turnover and that if he worked in the private sector with such a successful company he'd get paid that. -ignoring the fact that no private company has a law enforcing you to pay then for their services with penalties of court and jail for not paying them like council tax has!

essentially most people are hard working, but the odd idiot here and there ruins perceptions for both side.

Equally - no private sector boss can be voted out by his constituency..

But yes, there are idiots on both sides, and ultimately both depend on each other.

If you think she's having such a cushy time compared to you, are you actively seeking work in the public sector?

Unproductive people just waiting for their pensions?
This is the public sector? How very dare you.

I'm curious about your figures. In my LA you have to be really quite senior to be on 50k plus. Running a significant department with a lot of responsibility and budget.

(On the pension point you can opt out of auto enrolment if you cannot afford the new pension deductions which will apply unless you opt out - my son has)

Seeing as this has turned into public vs private, despite that not being the point.

Public sector workers are paid on average 14.5% more than those in the private sector, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
In 2013, average hourly earnings in the public sector were £16.28 an hour, compared to the average £14.16 among private employees.
But the difference was skewed because more public sector jobs require high levels of skill and university degrees.
Public sector employers also tend to be larger, thus paying higher wages.
Stripping out the influence of various job and personal characteristics - not just the effect of jobs requiring high levels of skill or higher educational qualifications, but also factors like age, experience, gender and location of the jobs - then the pay difference in favour of the public sector shrank to between 2.2% and 3.1%.

Only when it gets to the very top people are private paid more. Also dispels that public are paid significantly less but enforces that most believe they could get paid a lot more private.

Twoopsie?! In the property forum, in a thread with roneik and noddy holder, You said you were an interior designer turning down big high paid jobs ?

Or am I getting you mixed up with somebody else?

wrt stats on public vs private pay, all i know is that my peers from uni earn a whole load more than i do, but they mostly went into sales/marketing/business not low paid services/retail. i am happy with my choice, they are happy with theirs, but as a comparison of people with the same level of quals/grades etc i wouldnt say it represents a high pay public sector ethos

I've been slowly starting up my interiors design business, but I have a full time job that I can't afford to leave yet hence why I had to turn down some big jobs. Think I did say that on that thread tbh

Is that directed at me baffled? I said my manager was on close to £55k when I worked for a LA 10
Years ago. He was one below directorate director and that was London. But there were many at his level and he had nothing to do. He didn't even have any deliverables, apart from to manage us, and we had nothing to do.

I lie, there were 2 tasks- a cash shop reconciliation (daily) and a machine reconciliation (x3 per week) there were 7 of us to complete that. I longed for the days when it was my turn to reconcile, just to have something to do