Do people get stuck in public sector (mindset)?

[Asteric]

I have worked in both public and private sectors. Got paid more in private but ended up in public due to childcare reasons. But now I am so used to it, holiday, flexi time, family leave, pension etc I feel like I couldn’t leave. Some of my colleagues moan about low pay, I suggest moving to private sector. But something is stopping them - is it public sector mindset?

I have friends who work in private sector who have flexitime, family friendly policies and decent pensions.
Some of my friends in private sector have fabulous maternity pay and didn't have to pay back even if they didn't return to work

IME people can get very comfortable in the public sector. Though how they can stomach the bureaucracy is beyond me. I’m a civil servant at present and honestly, most of my job is about completing reports to justify my role’s existence rather than actually doing it.

I can’t wait to get out. But there’s no doubt I’ll miss the holiday allowance, flexi time, pension etc.

I’ve come from the private sector most recently, and I’m never going back! Good pension, very generous holiday allowance, wfh, my pick of flexible working patterns, and actually very good pay for my role compared to private sector. My oh gets the bare minimum for holidays but mine are so good, plus that I work compressed hours means we can easily cover the school holidays between us and still have just enough for a family holiday. They will drag me out kicking and screaming.

Some of my colleagues make comments like ‘I’d get paid twice as much in private sector’ but don’t move. I could probably earn more but I wfh in non standard hours to fit around childcare which I wouldn’t want to give up

Dh works for public sector. His work is very interesting and varied and has a societal purpose which counts for a lot. He could do roles for much more in the private sector but they'd be very samey in terms of projects and ultimately it would all be about making people richer, which is pretty dull.

I was a teacher.

No family leave no time off during school term. Fixed holidays. No flexi time. They tried to say no hospital or doctors appointments in term time.

Hours and hour of time given as goodwill plus buying my own stuff for my classroom as school permanently short on budget.

Buying breakfast bars to give to kids who hadn't had any food that morning and were hungry and couldn't concentrate.

Private sector much easier!

Imo definitely yes people who work a long time in public sector have a very specific outlook. My parents and my PIL all public sector and I can spot people who have worked in public sector roles for a long time!!

Oh gosh yes, I consider myself to be institutionalised in the civil service at this point. My whole working life has been public sector, either civil service or local authority. I'd not function in the private sector!

I always say you either like public sector or you don't, in CS I find new hires either stay forever or leave before 2 years. When I onboard someone I always consider that I'm having to induct them to the civil service, the specific department and the role. Not everyone can cope with the CS ways. It's a ridiculous way to work really but I find it all fondly amusing at this point!

Yes

Maybe they are driven by a moral purpose / social good.

I think there’s definitely a point when it feels hard to leave the public sector - by the time you’ve accrued annual leave, decent sick leave and your pension is building. I left a public sector role with 7 weeks annual leave, plus 12 public holidays, 6 months full pay, 6 months half pay on sick leave and a DB pension.

The organisation I joined is technically third sector and the benefits are different but better as an overall package, which made it worthwhile leaving. I think too people get institutionalised into a public sector way of working which can make interviewing for outside roles quite tricky, because the interview process tends to be less formulaic in the private/third sector.

I’ve worked across private, public and third sector, in my experience folk tend to get a bit stuck in the public sector.

Don't want to give up their pension?

I agree with you OP. I've worked in both for many years. My colleagues in the public sector moan about working long hours, but I worked much longer hours in the private sector (and got paid more).

Op
Indeed yes as the work is often, in most cases a lot easier and a lot more flexible and local to many with good pay and hols and sick pay.

I've always been public sector (NHS) and have always feared private sector as the axe swings and seems like less protection. More money, yes, but I wouldn't sleep at night.

I work for local government. We get plenty of folk who leave for private sector and come back.
I honestly love it. Flexi, good annual leave, hybrid working and a DB pension.
Contrary to public belief we work very hard, years of cuts mean that 10 people now do the work of a team that was busy when it had 20 staff.