To wonder why civil service haters don't understand that cutting 10,000 jobs is going to hurt everyone

[Everythingisnumbersnow]

I can't believe Labour is doing what they're doing

Well, they'll get other well-paid jobs if they are any good at their jobs - there are thousands of well-paid public sector and NHS non-clinical roles currently advertised.

Worst case scenario, none of them get a new job. We save £30-40k on their wages, and pay around £20k in benefits - the country is still better off.

Yes, that too!

What can do they do instead? Are 10000 jobs currently vacant in the right part of the country at the right level?

I'm public sector and agree with all this, especially about performance management.

10k is a tiny number the scheme of things and by definition they're not spending more in the private sector, nor paying more tax than they're currently costing the tax payer.

Obviously it's really tough for the individuals but your arguments really don't justify keeping loads of unnecessary people employed from the public purse. If they're needed , those jobs will just move anyway.

Depends what the unions will allow and at what cost to the public..

No idea, but redundancies in the private sector don’t get weighed up with - oh is there any other roles very close by for staff? No - then we should hold off and keep them on

It shouldn’t be any different for the public sector.

Care worker? Work in a bar? The state shouldn’t pay people to do nothing just because. This premise reminds me of a novel called The Scheme for Full Employment where the state employed people to drive empty vans around just to give people a job. Madness.

With all respect OP, I can understand that you’re pissed off if your job is at risk, but you haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about.

It's like you people can't learn from the past

oh, and it was going so well

"The estimated number of vacancies was 812,000 in the UK in October to December 2024"

If the government wants it can reduce the amount of work the civil service has to do and therefore the number of staff needed. It can start with some of the diversity roles that have become all about the trans. It can also stop paying Stonewall £618,757 and who knows how much to other similar organisations.

Stop telling children there is something wrong with their healthy bodies and the NHS will also save a lot on treating the side effects of unnecessary surgery and drugs.

Interesting. HMRC has no real idea about how big businesses’ global operations really work, because they are all far too complicated and expensive to delve into, thus enabling massive tax avoidance. There is no point pretending it’s true that cash in hand is a bigger problem and loses the economy more money than vastly wealthy global businesses paying experts to help avoid paying tax anywhere in the world and having direct dial lines to HMRC and politicians to discuss what they are willing to contribute. Why not just be honest, like Trump - the bigger and more powerful you are, the bigger the bully you can be and the more likely it is that you can ensure legislation is favourable to your business’s interests - and that it’s only the little people hose corruption is simple enough and on a small enough scale to get caught out.

I worked in the public sector for few years after several years in the private sector. It was like being on holiday. The lack of urgency, moveable deadlines, people off sick constantly was eye opening. I have no idea what my manager was doing most of the time, I never saw her and she always seemed to have some family emergency she needed to attend to,

We could probably have got rid of a third of my department and it wouldn't have made any difference.

Sorry but Keir

Depends on your expectations n mic viewpoint and your moral view of the world. After the wars and after the Civil ash jibs were created in public works. Sometimes keeping people in work is better for society than having them sit around doing nothing and their self esteem destroyed.
I should add that I am not in favour of the bloated Civil Service but, in my opinion, sweeping changes like this are unlikely to make the savings that he expects.

Thanks to the posters who posted facts rather than emotions.

What can do they do instead? Are 10000 jobs currently vacant in the right part of the country at the right level?
If thousands of these people were really hired because of Brexit or the pandemic then they should have looked for another job earlier. I understand if they held out for a bigger redundancy payment or pension contributions if they were close to retiring age anyway.

https://news.sky.com/story/almost-certain-civil-service-staff-numbers-will-be-cut-in-ai-efficiency-drive-minister-says-13327407

“Downing Street said one in 10 civil servants will work in tech and digital roles within the next five years” It sounds clear what kind of skills are going to be in demand if working as a civil servant.

but would it be possible 10000 in one go?

It’s quite basic international tax rules actually. No expensive legal advice needed. You might not like it but it’s totally above board and legal. There is nothing our government can do about it. Countries are working together to minimise profit shifting but it takes time and cooperation. There is NOTHING that recruiting HMRC officers will be able to do in this area.

They can train to be teachers, we've a massive shortage of those

The same people who are currently paying them to be employed - the taxpayer. Unemployment benefits are cheaper than their wages.

Are you saying these are good years?! Could’ve fooled me, yet the private sector is still leading the payrise way atm.

Most people have no idea what many civil servants do, they just envisage a Sir Humphrey figure from Yes Minister. Civil Servants are the people who keep all sorts of local and national services running.

I was a civil servant for a long time. The Peter principle is very much alive and kicking within it.
I saw more and more layers of management created then culled and then recreated. I have several friends who wfh in ‘policy’ on secondment who literally have nothing to do for days on end. The civil service needs more grass roots workers and many less managers who seem to justify their existence by continually having meetings that re- invent the wheel.

Yes

Tell me what you think Civil Servants do. I mean actually are responsible for?