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.

So apply for work in the public sector if you're so envious of the terms and conditions.

Mulder - not directly. It was in response to op's post but maybe she was quoting and I didn't realise.
London weighting would skew things I guess.
My dept is tiny for the work we do so not all depts are bored! :) We'd love a bit of bored.

Twoopsie, the private/public sector thing is a myth because it is not like for like. The private sector figures include national minimum wage jobs and low paid manual jobs. Like for like the public sector are paid less.

I work in the public sector. I have been on a pay freeze for 3 years and effectively suffered a pension cut - at my interview I was told my pension was basically deferred pay and a trade off for lower wages. I changed jib because flexi time allowed me to begin work at 6.30am and leave at 3pm to collect my child from nursery.

There are some things I miss about the private sector - lunches in Paris the boss paid for, wine on Fridays and the two week layoff over Xmas. However the laziest and most work shy people I have ever met were encountered there.

I enjoy working for the public sector though wages are not great, most people I work with are decent and sincere. I also like working for the public good rather than making money for someone else.

I used to work in the public sector. I wasn't allowed to do flexi as I had fixed diary commitments and needed to be contactable pretty much all of the time. I did enjoy my job and that is why I would gladly put in lots of overtime unpaid, as well as travelling to "hardship" locations at ridiculous o'clock. After a while I realised I wasn't going to progress in my profession and I also found the very public-facing aspect tricky. The pension was good but I doubt it will be so good by the time I retire. The salary wasn't bad either but I am now earning double in the private sector with less responsibility. I have to work long hours, sure, and there is more of an expectation around that but it doesn't mean that I didn't work those hours before!

Tbh the lunches in Paris stopped for many private sector workers 7ish years ago. I remember having ski weekends away as work jollies or meals in Michelin stared restaurants , they now seam like a lifetime ago.

And public sector workers didn't have perks like that, now or in the past.

Your problem is seemingly an inconsiderate friend and your own bitterness and envy. Address those and you might be a bit less inclined to whinge.

DH and I both work in the public sector. I have a friend who constantly moans about our holiday entitlement (33 days per year after ten years service, yes that's higher than average I think).

She is unwilling to apply for a job in the public sector because it would pay half what she earns in the private.

Funnily enough, she's currently sitting at home enjoying her Christmas whilst my DH is at work because people him.

Griping is not attractive.

The salary wasn't bad either but I am now earning double in the private sector with less responsibility.

Was that a long time ago? I think it would be very very unusual to double your wages public to private unless your in the top 5%.

She is unwilling to apply for a job in the public sector because it would pay half what she earns in the private.

What is the job that pays double private?

Notauniquename, many women will be the part time second earner in the family, so they may be able to afford to pay into their pension, but they won't be allowed to if they up earn under £10k by the looks of it.

I think maybe people are concentrating here on front line staff- nurses, teachers, bin men... People whose jobs can't really be replicated privately or would be replicated very cheaply. But someone like an accountant, or trainer, or HR bod, treasury person could easily earn significantly more in the private than public sector and their roles are readily available in both

Mulderandskully
"I think maybe people are concentrating here on front line staff- nurses, teachers, bin men... People whose jobs can't really be replicated privately or would be replicated very cheaply"

You really believe that there are no private teachers or nurses?

Oh course there are - what made you think I didn't realise that? Such a strange thing to post ?
The point is I suspect most private nurses and teachers don't earn double what they would in the public sector, which is what we were discussing

Was that a long time ago? I think it would be very very unusual to double your wages public to private unless your in the top 5%.

Not if you compare like for like: manager posts with a degree £30 - 40K in FE education, same salary, no degree in the private sector, an area manager perhaps.

Recently changed job to double salary. A Grade 7 job in a profession.

Mine would nearly double. I'm in the sort of profession referred to above. Bugger all p/t work in private sector.

Both my brothers are/were public sector in the type of jobs OP described. Both are convinced that if they worked in the private sector that they would be paid squillions, have huge bonuses etc etc.

However on both sides, public & private, there can be a 'grass is greener over there' attitude.

That's possibly true but my salary when I was private sector was minimum 1.5 times public sector rate plus substantial perks.

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.

Oh I think she does. I think she purposely only spent 10 mins with you. Can't think why though...

Daughter (20s) just got job offer. She has doubled her salary over what she was getting just under 3 years ago (that is not in a year but pretty good). She is good (proud mother).

I worl in the public sector-lunch is a sandwich answering my e-mails and i regularly work about 2 hours after finishing time unpaid. I recently had to give a talk 6-9 pm and this was all unpaid too .

OP, your company sounds seriously dodgy. Apparently you are high up in the company, but they are only offering you about £150 per year worked as redundancy. Did you know you're entitled to a week's pay per year worked (capped at (£464)? And they're also not giving you minimum holiday requirements. As someone senior there you really need to review these practices, to ensure the company is complying with the law.

Sorry I did mean 450, and its 20 days + public holidays. Both standard for mqny companies.

Your life sounds almost unbelievable twoopsie - wealthy parents (with a Ferrari apparently) who are not planning to leave you anything in their wills, a job as an interior designer, several flats in London that you own and presumably give you a large rental income, you're high up in a company that pays minimum redundancy, gives you the minimum number of holidays and the time to MN - and yet you're bemoaning the fact that your friend in the public sector (who presumably earns far less than you do) gets 'long' lunches?

If you don't like your job, have you thought about getting another one? Sounds like your friend enjoys her job, have you thought about doing something similar? You can work for anyone you want I assume (ie not obligated to a family business or signed into a 5 year contract), so why not quit and do something else if you're not happy with your current arrangements?