To think the public sector will get worse under Labour

[MeadowL]

Long term sickness is already nearly double of that in the private sector, aibu to think that this will get even worse under Labour?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/290241/uk-sickness-absence-rate-public-vs-private-sector/

Given that I already work over my hours every week and don't get paid for overtime (instead we get to write it on a time owing sheet and watch it accrue as we can't take the time back) then that sounds a much better prospect tbh.

I'm public sector. You get the odd person who takes the piss but then I've come across those type in the private sector too. If anything me and my colleagues tend to drag ourselves in when we really should be off because we know the staffing is so abysmal.

@askmenow

Thank you for your voice of reason.

I temped in a public sector organisation a little while back and, having come from a private sector background, it was almost laughable.

What people counted as 'stress' was generally a little bit of pressure. Almost all had a complete lack of 'oomph', the pace made me want to stick needles in my eyes.

You're 100% correct that the vast majority of public sector workers would get eaten alive in a truly high pressure private sector environment

That's interesting as I've worked in both the public and private sector in schools

By far the easiest job I've had was at a private school where I had 14 in my class, a full-time TA and plenty of non contact time for planning, marking etc, while my class had lessons with specialist music, PE, French and swimming teachers.

So I have to say I disagree.

And @SailorTwyft, have you ever taught in a state school? The pressure there from management, the education department, OFSTED and parents is unbelievable.

I’m pretty sure all the local government councils that have gone bust have all been under labour leadership. Make of that what you will.

Opposite in my experience. Private sector (same job) was boring as hell, they spent more time looking for ways to shaft the client than doing the job and whining about each other’s bonuses. For me the job was the rewarding part, much busier and more engaged in public sector. Actually get things done.

So what? Working from home isn't inherently a bad thing. It also means your council paying for less office space.

I'm sorry to hear you have cancer but have to say not where I work in the private sector. Myself and my kids have private medical care through my work, we have a great long term sickness policy and personal insurance policies to make sure we are paid through out the time we are off if we use up all our sick leave. I used to work in the charity sector and wouldn't go back to it or even think about working for the public sector. `I love my job and the people I work with, I hope to be in it a while. Also funnily enough since we started more flexible working including more at home I have barely had any sick days off work.

You're 100% correct that the vast majority of public sector workers would get eaten alive in a truly high pressure private sector environment

yeah I can’t imagine a social work in child protection, a police officer or a surgeon has any idea what stress is like 🙄

They will be dissatisfied if Labour don’t deliver on their promises about boosting wages, and ‘making work pay’. Junior doctors are currently demanding 35%. Whilst Labour have said this isn’t doable, if they give them even half that, there will be a big surge of people jumping on the band waggon. Labour have raised expectations so high that they’re going to fix everything, that there will be queues outside the door of number 10 come Friday morning to insist these promises are met. And if not, the Unions will be circling.

@SailorTwyft probably depends on your individual experience. The last three hires made in my department have come from the private sector and can't keep pace or even get to grips with the workload and frankly are just massively under-skilled despite impressive CVs.

I've worked in 3 different public sector organisations and 2 private. It just varies based on a lot of things. All this public wouldn't last in private is a bit of an odd flex. Your opinions don't change the fact a lot of the public sector workers are carrying double/triple work loads, just because you experienced an ineffective department/organisation once upon a time.

PS the easiest job I ever had was private (banking) and my hardest public (education).

It's not one situation all over 😁

No they haven’t and no they won’t.
When we return to a grown up democracy- all the players become grown up. The polarisation and arrogance of the last few years drives everyone to position themselves into zero sum positions.

Public expectations for things to feel better will be high and more challenging as there are massive fiscal and economic issues and no magic wands. However given how much of this harm has been caused by the incumbent government directly and bizarre dogma I think a new Labour government will have a grace period.

Honestly even if you aren’t a traditional Labour supporter, Liz Truss’s arrogant economic illiteracy has continued to impact on the countries economic health. She doesn’t accept accountability and attributes her abject failure on some fantasy global cabals that don’t exist. If that madness is anywhere near government we’re all fucked. Nothing Labour did “with the unions” could ever be as bad.

edit for typos

But Labour have said legislation on making work pay will be put forward within 100 days of them getting into power? Or have they backtracked on that one already?

I work in the public sector (Tory council) and currently doing 3 x people's jobs. Today I went home early as my head was mush, but I can't go off sick as there is too much to do. My body may decide for itself soon though.

You're 100% correct that the vast majority of public sector workers would get eaten alive in a truly high pressure private sector environment

well i call bollocks on the ‘majority’ part,

@Livelovebehappy so Making Work Pay refers to employment rights and includes things like stopping fire and rehire (eg the scandal at P&O a few years ago) and “exploitative” zero hours contracts, flexible working etc and changing the remit of the body that makes recommendations to government on what the national living wage should be so it can take account of prices.

Lots of this was in a Green Paper published by the government so it’s been out for consultation but as far as I know the conservatives haven’t committed the ideas to manifesto commitments. Bringing forward the legislation doesn’t automatically mean that these things happen over night either.

I dont mean to sound sanctimonious- but thought you were genuinely up for a discussion so wanted to say a bit more (even if it’s ended up an essay!)

Sigh.No I don't think the public sector will get worse under Labour, and neither do you. The Tories, as you know, believe is a small state, as small as possible, and many of them would happily get rid of it altogether. It's part of the whole Tory philosophy, monetarism, and has been much written about, including more recently in Boris Johnson's books.

This whack a mole is getting boring. Roll of Friday, one way or another.

And you don't think it'll get worse under this current lot or Reform? 🤣

I’ve worked in the state sector all my life and my experience is that, with the exception of a few, it is filled with people that go above and beyond what they are paid to do. In the private sector you don’t get all the hours of voluntary work. Unless you are on a very high salary you clock off as soon as you are not being paid. In the NHS most staff I know work over their contracted hours. In my first three months post qualified I worked a whole extra months worth. So that is four months work for the price of three. It’s not just about sickness rates you know.

Besides, what had a Labour government got to do with it? Tory voters are really clutching at straws now.

Working from home doesn't mean not working, sometimes it means the opposite. My husband used to leave at 7am to start work at his council job at 8am, leave at 4 to get home at 5. Now he starts at 7.30 and finishes at 5.30, so they are getting an extra 2 hours of work from same salary. Plus not paying for his getting,lighting etc - they have shut down part if council offices to save money.
Also better for traffic and environment for him to work from home. It's a desk job, doesn't matter which desk

@Somerandomerontheinternet

What did Liz truss do?

She showed us politicians don't run fuck all. The money markets do, money does /eccomics and money.

@MeadowL@MeadowL.. I'm barely nmw just above like 60p above 😂. My dd has sen.
Do you think I think they will throw money at education and people like us?. Absolutely not, it will become worse but we won't be able to say so.

The patients I'm seeing now are more ill, have more advanced cancer and have less positive outcomes than the equivalent patients during the Labour years...yet research and innovation in cancer care has increased exponentially.

My patients now are unable to get to see their GP and when they do the 2WW is a joke. By the time they get to me and my team they have waited too long and I'm having to tell patients every day that their survival is reduced.

My staff are on their knees and struggling to cope with more patients, more complex patients and patients who are being dx later. Of course they are stressed and they are angry and feel,helpless. I currently have 5 nurses, 2 junior doctors and 2 managers on long term sick leave. A mixture of mental health issues, long covid and decline in health due to not having access to specialist care. All are dear colleagues and valued members of the team and we feel their absence in so many ways.

Oh dear. They walk among us.

@daliesque wow, do your fellow docs take immediate face to face) in our surgery some male docs do phone calls only..
Then f 2 f... I'm waiting for investigation and an op for a few issues and I'm 0in no doubt that's due to covid and a culture issue within health's services. I look forward to it running smoothly under labor. And I'll get my op shortly and cancer diagnosis will improve. 👍