The expectation to go ‘above and beyond’ is creating an unsustainable working environment. What constitutes above and beyond?
Civil service bashing replies, the transformation to boards is almost complete.
Are there wasters?…yes the stereotype doesn’t come from nowhere, are they the majority?…no, nowhere close.
In my previous job my hours were 8 to 5. Most days I’d come in early because of the workload and getting some done before other staff came into the office. At least once a week I’d work through lunch because of some emergency. Every night we had staff who would have to work until 8 o clock and I could be guaranteed to get at least one phone call from the office most of those nights. We also had staff in on Saturdays and almost every Saturday I’d have a call from the office.
Could I have said no? Yes but you don’t want to leave your staff facing the shit by themselves and most time it isn’t a huge issue but when you’re in the middle of trying to do something with your family it can be very fucking annoying.
I can hear the stampede of “but they’d have to work before they can disconnect”… but the public and civil service have plenty of hard working, dynamic individuals. The issue is that the hardest work tends to fall on their shoulders because there are so many passengers who can’t really be gotten rid of. And so you do risk burning people like that out.
As a public servant who worked supporting pretty high level part of the civil service, I have refused a dedicated work phone on multiple occasions for this reason.
If there is a legit emergency that I am needed for my personal number is there. But if I am showing as inactive on Teams I don’t want to be called for random bullshit that should just be a email.
I work hard. Get my shit done. Will work over my contracted hours if required. But I have also been in jobs where I have worked 70+ hour weeks and learned the hard way to have hard boundaries.
Before rhe civil service bashing begins people should realise that the private sector has just as many people who do fuck all every day and get carried by everyone.
Civil service in the main is full of very dedicated people. There is also a reason AP grades and above don’t get flexi or overtime, and that’s because they typically do work 10-12 hrs a day for no extra pay or time off in lieu.
I get called on my personal phone when I’m on AL or sick leave.. I’ve never taken more than 5 days AL in a row because I have too much to do and will miss deadlines. My job used to be done by 3 people but due to staff shortages and bad management it’s just me doing it all. If I drop the ball , it’s vulnerable members of the community who will suffer and they know I don’t want that on my hands because I’m a big eejit. It’s probably my own fault but i have asked for help / expressed that my work load is too much loads of times but nothing changes. I’ve actually only been on sick leave once but did work a few hours of some of the days. The more obliging and dedicated you are, the more you get taken advantage of. I’m not a high grade, I’m medium. I find with a lot of people, the higher they go the lazier they get.. we also seem to get people in at high grades who have no idea what their job is or how to do it. You end up holding their hand and teaching them the ropes.
nonsense the right to disconnect is already included in the work from home legislation
7 comments
The expectation to go ‘above and beyond’ is creating an unsustainable working environment. What constitutes above and beyond?
Civil service bashing replies, the transformation to boards is almost complete.
Are there wasters?…yes the stereotype doesn’t come from nowhere, are they the majority?…no, nowhere close.
In my previous job my hours were 8 to 5. Most days I’d come in early because of the workload and getting some done before other staff came into the office. At least once a week I’d work through lunch because of some emergency. Every night we had staff who would have to work until 8 o clock and I could be guaranteed to get at least one phone call from the office most of those nights. We also had staff in on Saturdays and almost every Saturday I’d have a call from the office.
Could I have said no? Yes but you don’t want to leave your staff facing the shit by themselves and most time it isn’t a huge issue but when you’re in the middle of trying to do something with your family it can be very fucking annoying.
I can hear the stampede of “but they’d have to work before they can disconnect”… but the public and civil service have plenty of hard working, dynamic individuals. The issue is that the hardest work tends to fall on their shoulders because there are so many passengers who can’t really be gotten rid of. And so you do risk burning people like that out.
As a public servant who worked supporting pretty high level part of the civil service, I have refused a dedicated work phone on multiple occasions for this reason.
If there is a legit emergency that I am needed for my personal number is there. But if I am showing as inactive on Teams I don’t want to be called for random bullshit that should just be a email.
I work hard. Get my shit done. Will work over my contracted hours if required. But I have also been in jobs where I have worked 70+ hour weeks and learned the hard way to have hard boundaries.
Before rhe civil service bashing begins people should realise that the private sector has just as many people who do fuck all every day and get carried by everyone.
Civil service in the main is full of very dedicated people. There is also a reason AP grades and above don’t get flexi or overtime, and that’s because they typically do work 10-12 hrs a day for no extra pay or time off in lieu.
I get called on my personal phone when I’m on AL or sick leave.. I’ve never taken more than 5 days AL in a row because I have too much to do and will miss deadlines. My job used to be done by 3 people but due to staff shortages and bad management it’s just me doing it all. If I drop the ball , it’s vulnerable members of the community who will suffer and they know I don’t want that on my hands because I’m a big eejit. It’s probably my own fault but i have asked for help / expressed that my work load is too much loads of times but nothing changes. I’ve actually only been on sick leave once but did work a few hours of some of the days. The more obliging and dedicated you are, the more you get taken advantage of. I’m not a high grade, I’m medium. I find with a lot of people, the higher they go the lazier they get.. we also seem to get people in at high grades who have no idea what their job is or how to do it. You end up holding their hand and teaching them the ropes.
nonsense the right to disconnect is already included in the work from home legislation