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Original poster

How flexible have you found the civil service?

84 replies

Summertime10 · 27/01/2023 18:14

Hi everyone, I'm looking to join the civil service from teaching.
I have children so was wondering how family friendly and flexible you've found it to be please?
I understand there'll be departmental differences but I was just trying to get an overview before I commit to joining it.

It's an EO position I've been offered.

Thanks

OP posts:
Mamabear5321 · 15/12/2023 15:24

Oh no, it is an examiner role. It did mention overnight stays for the studying. Will it be more hand on experience for the qualification or book studying?

Mamabear5321 · 15/12/2023 15:27

Thank you. I actually dont know who my line manager will be yet. Iv neen given a form by the recruitment department to fill out first with what hours and days if not full time and then it will go to the line manager. Should i just go ahead with what i want? I feel 3 days might be a gentler introduction to working life after such a long break. Although if they hate that idea i could do 4 days. I feel fulltime might be too much to balance with home.

RandomCatGenerator · 15/12/2023 18:02

ChevyCamaro · 15/12/2023 12:42

You can get 6 months full pay if you are sick.
This is not true and hasn't been since (I think) 2012.
Sick pay goes up in steps according to length of service and is worked out over a rolling 4 year period.

Also depends on how long you’ve been employed.

I think in my department it is possible that you could be on sick leave for six months on full pay, but I think you’d have to have been employed for - I think - a decade or more. I was off work for a month last year and I was so stressed about it that it was making my recovery harder, and my manager reassured me that a month was nowhere near the review point.

Grantanow · 15/12/2023 18:31

Best job I ever had. Not a blob at all.

Teedeedum · 15/12/2023 19:35

Mama bear. I am currently halfway through the two year L3 examiner qualification with the IS. Feel free to PM me if you would like to chat more. And they are absolutely fine about part-time or compressed hour requests as long as you are working at least 21 hours per week 😉

cakecoffeecakecoffee · 17/12/2023 21:09

DH has been in the CS for 25 years…. started as AA and now G6.
He has had loads of flexibility all the way through - same dept most of that time but different teams and roles.

He gives his team as much flexibility as he possibly can.

Twiglets1 · 18/12/2023 07:02

Mamabear5321 · 15/12/2023 15:27

Thank you. I actually dont know who my line manager will be yet. Iv neen given a form by the recruitment department to fill out first with what hours and days if not full time and then it will go to the line manager. Should i just go ahead with what i want? I feel 3 days might be a gentler introduction to working life after such a long break. Although if they hate that idea i could do 4 days. I feel fulltime might be too much to balance with home.

I think you should be honest about what you want as I expect it’s easier to negotiate before you start.

I was recently offered a role in the CS advertised as full time or part time. I was offered full time but immediately told them I was hoping it could be part time as the job advertisement had described that as possible. They asked me what hours I was looking for and I said 18.5 - 21 hours a week and they immediately offered me 3 days at 7 hours a day. This is for an operational role where I will need to be in the office all 3 days.

Mamabear5321 · 18/12/2023 18:14

Teedeedum thank you so much. I will absolutely take you up on your offer. Once i start and have a bit more understanding it would be amazing to chat.

I submitted my proposed hours of 3 days at 22.5 hours. Hopefully they will be ok with that. Id be happy to increase in the future but i think im in for a shock to the system after so many years off.

Teedeedum · 19/12/2023 23:23

By all means do. I am enjoying the role and am happy to share my experience so far 😁

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