AIBU Public sector workers generally

[Privatesectorworkers]

I’ve changed user names for this…..

I read a post today regarding public sector workers & how hard done by they feel. This instance its Teachers (just an example). I feel increasingly frustrated how these workers (general, not just teachers) harp on about how hard done by they are.

I appreciate it’s a hard job but you couldn’t get away with it in our sector.

I do also know that a lot of my hostility lies over being an unrecognised key worker during covid so perhaps this is tainting my view.

I don’t understand how much they get away with. In terms of absence, pay etc.

Some people work unfortunately in not so well paid, qualified positions (as I do) but there are other factors that keep me in my place of work. I am lucky to have good colleagues, work close to home etc.

Can they not just find some consolidation that they are in the career of their choosing, I would hope they wanted to have a positive impact in the education & enjoy the caring nature of this role?

I don’t understand what has changed so much AIBU?

I provide a private service to the LA. They give me the biggest nightmare out of all my customers. Their computer systems never work, and when they do they are not user friendly at all. There is a ridiculous amount of red tape. They never pay on time, and when they do pay, it's never an amount that makes sense. They keep reducing their hours and their team members, so it's impossible to contact anyone.

A lot of this is not the individual's fault, but still.

It sounds like it is the fault of funding cuts which means they can't afford decent, working computer systems or to pay for the right amount of staff.

Totally agree … but it’s impossible to find anyone who is the slightest bit interested in helping one of their clients to solve any of these issues. A private company would have a very different response should you contact them about any of those things.

Do you believe that people who work in the public sector are inherently different to those in the private sector? A genuine question.

Their responses are. Council workers huff and puff, and act like you’re a major inconvenience if you contact them. It’s all very much “not my problem” and they aren’t interested in solving the issues that they caused in the first place. Ring a private company and it’s all smiles, apologies and can’t do enough for you.

Perhaps because a private company might have the ways and the means to solve them?

Do you know how little money there is in the public sector right now?

You obviously haven’t dealt with John Lewis “customer services” recently.

Ring a private company and it’s all smiles, apologies and can’t do enough for you.

There are many MN threads proving this not to be the case.

It has changed so much! Sadly, very different to a decade ago.

I don’t! Nor do any of my immediate colleagues or the many other workers I encounter every day. It wouldn’t be deemed acceptable at all.
Having said that… I live under a different council than I work for and there’s a attitude of indifference with occasional rudeness thrown in. I put that down to small town mentality and me being very visibly an “outsider” so I guess it can be a cultural thing.

With so many private companies it’s impossible to get to speak with a real live human being without going through some rigmarole of “For A, press 1, for B, press 2 etc etc. I don’t call that customer service.

It is possible to be critical of the public sector (and we are entitled to be, BTW, because we both fund and use the services) yet also not to want to leave our jobs and join the public sector 'because it's so cushy' (not quoting you there but many other MPs).

I have seen loads of PPs say the same thing on this thread. I am happy in the private sector. I do have some experience of the public sector so i'm not entirely ignorant, and in my view there are many perfectible valid criticisms to be made of the way public services are being delivered atm. Some problems are caused by bad management, some by central government, and some surely by the abuse of generous policies on "sickness" etc, by the workers themselves.

I'm really surprised it's even controversial to say that public services in 2024 are DIRE.

There were pay freezes in the private sector too. And we also feel the costs of living increasing, just as you do.

Yes mines done the same says it’s too complicated. Waiting for our 2023 deal still.

But we fund and use them too. It’s not the workers you need to criticise.

So bored of everyone saying they pay our wages
<yawn> we all pay tax

I'm a public sector worker and I never 'harp on' but I have to say, I only EVER see public sector workers being criticised on Mumsnet for doing it. It's totally weird and not reflective of real life.

Teaching can be hard but mostly, from my experience, because of poverty, neglect and the impact of mental illness and drug taking. Prescribed or otherwise. These things tend to affect parenting and therefore the impact is brought into the classroom. I could weep sometimes about the lives some children lead, however, but I don't 'harp on' because they're safeguarding issues.

I realise I have missed the point entirely - but that IS my point. We aren't all whingeing about workload or wages.

I think, perhaps, detach yourself from these people you know, or negative media coverage, and focus on being a supportive parent to your children's teachers and supportive patient for your GP and nurses.

Just be nice. We are all under pressure.

These threads are always fractious and unhelpful because they generalise way too much. The whole gamut of good/bad/indifferent exists in both sectors and naturally enough, no one likes to be criticised. Most people are doing their best, often in tough circumstances.

The workers who abuse the benefits, I can and will criticise. And so should their colleagues ( who are left to hold the fort).

The reason people criticise “ public sector workers” is because as a group they complain the most!

I would say that actually, public sector workers are often moaned at/about for ‘having it easy’ and when they respond with, ‘actually, it’s not easy’, get told they are complaining!

People have pointed out repeatedly that the sickness situation isn't cushy. It's really hard. Teachers (and students) drag themselves in when they should be at home because that's easier than the nonsense. Result: I've acquired serious chest infections every year for the last three years.

Agreed.

And shrieking mindless criticism of public sector workers becomes a self fulfilling prophecy if we aren't careful as it becomes seen as less desirable place to work due to the endless sniping from the public.

Sensible, informed and targeted critique is useful.
Mindless bashing of public servants just makes you look thick.

Honestly I have RTFT and there is very little shrieking or mindless criticism.

I don’t actually think it does workers any favours to allow them to fester in roles they hate or are making a bad job of resulting in long term sickness. If long term sickness wasn’t paid, or jobs kept open, the person would be obliged to leave, which would be better in many cases.

It’s widely accepted that sickness is a problem in the public sector.

It irritates me that it was so different. I taught as many live lessons as I could until my children's nursery reopened and spent my weekends recording lessons for the other times. I also replied to anything on Teams as soon as I could when I wasn't able to live teach.
As soon as they were back in - live it was. I do however, know of colleagues who didn't do anything like that. It was frustrating.

Same with nurses - so afraid to 'trigger' on sickness but then we are dealing with some of the most vulnerable people in society - pass on an infection and it could be very serious or even fatal for someone else