Overstaffed local councils and lazy council workers

[GordonBennet]

There was an interesting article in one of the papers at the weekend exposing the truth about what it's like to work in the offices of a local council.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289702/Public-sector-inertia-council-office-employees-month-sickies.html

 

Although this case study was in a London council, people I know who work for South Yorkshire councils say similar things. Effectively most admin jobs are totally unnecessary, days are spent surfing the net, attending pointless meetings and going on right-on politically-correct training courses. You can turn up when you like, leave when you want and go sick for the most trivial of excuses. If your boss ever tells you to do some work you just report him for bullying and then go off with stress.

 

Best of all, you get a gold-plated pension and can retire in your 50s while the rest of us will have to work till we're 70 to pay for your pension!

 

At a time when the unions are spinning rumours about frontline services being cut, it's important that stories like this are publicised to show that in reality all local councils can get rid of a significant number of staff without it affecting the services they provide and saving us all money in the long run.

[Mister M]

All credit to the council workers in Social Services departments up and down the country who work extremely hard, for not a great deal of money and often put others well being in front of their own. The work they do is emotionally draining and thankless.

 

I worked for social services a few years ago, and to be honest the complaints that people have against them can be levelled at a lot of workplaces. There are those that skive and those that don't.

 

When you're spreading the gospel according to the Daily Mail be very careful. One day your elderly parents, or kids with learning difficulties might need looking after - and there won't be nobody there to do it.

[Number Six]

I've always found it odd that rush hour in Sheffield starts at about 4pm in the evening, but doesn't seem to be earlier than any other city in the morning.

[Alien]

There was an interesting article in one of the papers at the weekend exposing the truth about what it's like to work in the offices of a local council.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289702/Public-sector-inertia-council-office-employees-month-sickies.html

 

Although this case study was in a London council, people I know who work for South Yorkshire councils say similar things. Effectively most admin jobs are totally unnecessary, days are spent surfing the net, attending pointless meetings and going on right-on politically-correct training courses. You can turn up when you like, leave when you want and go sick for the most trivial of excuses. If your boss ever tells you to do some work you just report him for bullying and then go off with stress.

 

Best of all, you get a gold-plated pension and can retire in your 50s while the rest of us will have to work till we're 70 to pay for your pension!

 

At a time when the unions are spinning rumours about frontline services being cut, it's important that stories like this are publicised to show that in reality all local councils can get rid of a significant number of staff without it affecting the services they provide and saving us all money in the long run.

 

 

You have friends who admit to be idle? Maybe we could replace them with the unemployed?

 

"I have friends" who admit to being idle to justify my rant as sacrosanct?

 

People have jobs...you're not happy.

 

People don't have jobs...you're not happy.

 

You have a job? You seem terribly unhappy considering both above issues are a major part of your SF/real life life.

[willman]

I watch the council "gardeners" and litter pickers for NEDDC at work.I'm sure I could get the entire estate done in the time it takes them to do three streets.

We can only tell when the streetsweeper guy is around 'cos he's always in the sandwich shop - we never see him cleaning the streets.

[Number Six]

You have friends who admit to be idle? Maybe we could replace them with the unemployed?

 

Why would you want to replace them?

[espadrille]

There was an interesting article in one of the papers at the weekend exposing the truth about what it's like to work in the offices of a local council.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289702/Public-sector-inertia-council-office-employees-month-sickies.html

 

Although this case study was in a London council, people I know who work for South Yorkshire councils say similar things. Effectively most admin jobs are totally unnecessary, days are spent surfing the net, attending pointless meetings and going on right-on politically-correct training courses. You can turn up when you like, leave when you want and go sick for the most trivial of excuses. If your boss ever tells you to do some work you just report him for bullying and then go off with stress.

 

Best of all, you get a gold-plated pension and can retire in your 50s while the rest of us will have to work till we're 70 to pay for your pension!

 

At a time when the unions are spinning rumours about frontline services being cut, it's important that stories like this are publicised to show that in reality all local councils can get rid of a significant number of staff without it affecting the services they provide and saving us all money in the long run.

 

I must admit to being incredulous when I read this article.I used to be a civil servant 20 years ago and can remember the shock I had when I got a job first in the private sector then in the voluntary sector, but this in London is just totally unacceptable.It doesn't say which council it is though and you cant tar all of them with the same brush

[ReginaldD]

There was an interesting article in one of the papers at the weekend exposing the truth about what it's like to work in the offices of a local council.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289702/Public-sector-inertia-council-office-employees-month-sickies.html

 

Although this case study was in a London council, people I know who work for South Yorkshire councils say similar things. Effectively most admin jobs are totally unnecessary, days are spent surfing the net, attending pointless meetings and going on right-on politically-correct training courses. You can turn up when you like, leave when you want and go sick for the most trivial of excuses. If your boss ever tells you to do some work you just report him for bullying and then go off with stress.

 

Best of all, you get a gold-plated pension and can retire in your 50s while the rest of us will have to work till we're 70 to pay for your pension!

 

At a time when the unions are spinning rumours about frontline services being cut, it's important that stories like this are publicised to show that in reality all local councils can get rid of a significant number of staff without it affecting the services they provide and saving us all money in the long run.

 

Hi,

 

I'd just like to dispel a few of these myths basically i work for Sheffield City Council as an admin work or a Business Support Officer which is our official title.

 

*People do surf the net, but people are allowed to do this in their lunch (which I do and am currently doing as I'm on my lunch)

*a few meetings a maybe pointless though in my role the meetings I attend are of a serious nature and have a great deal of purpose to them.

*With regards the pension issue, yes when I turn 70 in 48 years maybe I will get a good pension but then again why I shouldn't I, . To be fair everyone should but just because other people don't then I don't think it's a reason to change to terms of public sector pension also we do pay a great deal into our pensions so its only right we get a decent one back.

* One poster referred to many people leaving at 4pm. In the council admin teams a member of staff is required to work 37 hours each week. For for example if I came in at 8.45 each, had lunch 12pm - 1pm, then left at 5.15pm that would equate to 37 hrs a week. However we are allowed to come in as early as 8am and work as late as 6pm also people can have only a 30 minute lunch so if somebody came in a 8am each they are doing 45 minute on top of there required hours each day so they could use that 45 minute to leave as early as 4pm if they wished as long as they'd had built the hours up and there was someone else in their team still working while 5.15pm to cover the phones.

[wednesday1]

There was an interesting article in one of the papers at the weekend exposing the truth about what it's like to work in the offices of a local council.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289702/Public-sector-inertia-council-office-employees-month-sickies.html

 

Although this case study was in a London council, people I know who work for South Yorkshire councils say similar things. Effectively most admin jobs are totally unnecessary, days are spent surfing the net, attending pointless meetings and going on right-on politically-correct training courses. You can turn up when you like, leave when you want and go sick for the most trivial of excuses. If your boss ever tells you to do some work you just report him for bullying and then go off with stress.

 

Best of all, you get a gold-plated pension and can retire in your 50s while the rest of us will have to work till we're 70 to pay for your pension!

 

At a time when the unions are spinning rumours about frontline services being cut, it's important that stories like this are publicised to show that in reality all local councils can get rid of a significant number of staff without it affecting the services they provide and saving us all money in the long run.

 

 

 

I'm sure you once said that you worked for the council? are you one of the 'dead wood'?

[foxforcefive]

I know of 3 people who work for SCC, who admit to skiving and basically doing flook all at work, their defence? everyone else at work does it so why should they be the ones who work their nuts off for the same money.

 

I also know a person who doesn't work for SCC who does the same.