"Public sector - so no"

[OhpoorMe]

Anyone else get quite frustrated seeing this on threads about Christmas parties/ bonuses / staff perks etc

The public sector isn't one homogenous organisation. I've only ever worked in PS organisations and have always had a paid for staff party, sometimes bonuses, sometimes perks etc.

It's not a given that public sector = badly treated!

So many people say this. Well, yes, do it then! Is it a weird jealousy or something? I've never earned more than £32k a year in my charity/publoc sector jobs, but I don't winge on about wanting to earn loads more as I made the choice.

I'm NHS and the only think I've experienced re funded parties was the trust. awards ceremony when nominees get a three course meal. I'm pretty sure that was funded by the Trust charity. In over twenty years I've never seen a funded Xmas party and I've certainly never had a bonus!

Lucky you OP,

Been a teacher for almost 20 years. Never had a funded Christmas Party of End of Year party. Have to been travelling/away from school for over 5 hours to claim a sandwich and pay for tea and coffee at school. (I bring in a thermos).

Have to say I think your experience is atypical.

Surely 'public sector' doesn't include anything that government funds as that then would basically be everything other than very clearly profit making businesses? Government money funds think tanks, charities, provides grants to private sector businesses for certain purposes etc. I don't think the areas you are describing OP really are public sector, certainly not core public sector. I also definitely wouldn't count universities as they are only partly supported by government, the rest is by tuition fees and grants (or some private enterprise).

Funded by what/whom?

NDPBs or quangos or arm’s length bodies, whatever they are called now, are still publicly funded though, aren’t they?

I’ve worked in the public sector for 20 years and we have never ever had a paid for party of any paid for perks like this in all the time I’ve worked here and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest 🤷‍♀️

Same here

There are plenty of jobs available in the NHS across all sectors.
There's no way I'll be able to do my very stressful job until I'm 67 so I'm not going to get a full pension.

People seem to be confused what constitutes public sector. I’d say it is someone directly employed by a public body. So not university, not charity sector, not GP surgery etc

Are you employed by government in some
capacity, or are you employed by a privately owned entity funded by government?

They are different things.

I am civil service and have worked across a couple of departments and have always had performance bonuses (end of year and in year rewards) in 4 figures too so not insignificant (albeit not banking levels ha) but I've never had a funded Christmas party, that has always been a lunch arranged by us and we pay for ourselves.

NDPBs or quangos or arm’s length bodies, whatever they are called now, are still publicly funded though, aren’t they?

Yes, and many still have to the follow the pay remit of the department that sponsors them.

Never experienced this in the public sector. We don't even get team building events and the most we get is tea and coffee when on mandatory training that lasts all day. 😳

Both myself and partner working for public sector me nhs and him local government 20 years for both of us. Neither have had anything for Christmas, parties, bonuses etc in all that time. It’s not a woe is me, it’s just the norm and never expected as no budgets for this.

Yes we may get pensions, death in service, gradual sick pay, more holiday but that’s contractual and usually because public sector pay was less so was seen as benefits to a lower salary historically. Many private sector places offer similar these days if you read threads on here.

Our unit management get together to buy staff a small token but out of their own pockets!

I work in PS, we get an annual performance bonus, usually a Christmas gift (£50 voucher), last year there was a cost of living payment, we get a fully funded overnight Christmas party per team, tomorrow is our funded "festive lunch", we have a free networking lunch once a month, free breakfast daily.....

So yeah, some PS is OK.

This is me, in my NDPB. We have a small amount of wiggle room to decide how our pay is distributed, but we are essentially otherwise treated as civil service. Never had as much as free tea bags in the nearly 25 years I’ve worked there. Nor has DH in ten years in local government. We are hoping for a decent, if not lavish, retirement, though.

Retired now but worked in public sector my whole life - mainly education. Never received a bonus or any kind of paid for perk. We went out for christmas meals etc but we all paid for it ourselves. We weren't even allowed to buy tea and coffee for the staff room from the school budget - staff had to bring in their own

Well I for one am not happy that my tax is paying for that.

Which is the general reason why public sector (I assume when you say PS you mean public sector not private sector) organisations tend not to fund such stuff.

So who is paying for your party on this occasion, where has the money come from?

I do know that many public sector have taxpayer funded parties but I'm surprised to see someone announcing it on MN!

Many private sector places offer similar these days if you read threads on here.

Virtually no private sector companies offer a direct benefit pension.

I work in a university. You don’t usually get Christmas parties paid, or bonuses or that kind of thing, though you do get lots of research trips and dinners for that kind of thing paid.

I work in children’s service - we don’t even get tea/coffee/milk let alone bonuses or parties - in our public sector there is no money- maybe do some policy development on funding essential services?

I have worked for public sector for 25 years, never had anything as it would be classed as misappropriation of public funds. We weren't even allowed tea and coffee then schools became academies and could have some say. I work for a local authority and we aren't allowed to accept anything. A parent once wanted to send flowers as a thankyou and weren't allowed to.

NDPBs or quangos or arm’s length bodies, whatever they are called now, are still publicly funded though, aren’t they?

Lots of things are publicly funded but outside the technical definition of public sector. Basic rule of thumb - are the salaries controlled by the Gov - ie when the Gov says public sector salary increases to be capped at x%, does that apply to those organisations. Mostly the answer is no.