[Politics] The Labour Government

[Herr Tubthumper]

There’s a lot of “I know a guy who worked in the public sector once and I’m using that as the justification for my own ignorant opinion” posts on here.

Quite. What I also find interesting is that literally every criticism of waste in the public sector I can blow it out the water with an example of waste in my industry. Folk seem to think it’s just public bodies which have inefficiencies.

The comment about folk playing the sickness game. I’ve seen this everywhere I’ve worked. This said…I prefer not to judge folk and unless I have evidence to suggest otherwise will assume they’re unwell.

On this note….Very recently I was at a gig with the wife and a colleague/friend of hers…they said hello to a guy who emerged from the sweaty throng at the front of the stage half cut….and been off sick the past 3 days.

 

[Titanic]

There’s a lot of “I know a guy who worked in the public sector once and I’m using that as the justification for my own ignorant opinion” posts on here.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I spent the whole of my working life in the private sector and saw all sorts of crap over loads of companies.

So from that, I think I can safely say that the whole private sector in the UK is completely f***ing useless

 

[BBassic]

This said…I prefer not to judge folk and unless I have evidence to suggest otherwise will assume they’re unwell.

Yeah, very much this.

To throw some anecdotal evidence of my own around...

Friend of mine has a health concern, it's been going on for a couple of years. Mostly they're fine because the daily medication they take keeps it in check. But every now and then the chemistry doesn't align and it floors them and they have to disappear for a bit of time to recover.

On the outside, perhaps to a colleague who doesn't know any better, this looks like they're playing the system. They're very much not.

People should be more trusting of people. Yes, some people will take the piss. I choose to believe most people are decent.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Yeah, very much this.

To throw some anecdotal evidence of my own around...

Friend of mine has a health concern, it's been going on for a couple of years. Mostly they're fine because the daily medication they take keeps it in check. But every now and then the chemistry doesn't align and it floors them and they have to disappear for a bit of time to recover.

On the outside, perhaps to a colleague who doesn't know any better, this looks like they're playing the system. They're very much not.

People should be more trusting of people. Yes, some people will take the piss. I choose to believe most people are decent.

I think your last paragraph is pertinent. I totally agree.

 

[Rdodge30]

Calling in sick when you are not sick is an epidemic! I have seen it for decades and I could not possibly say that I think the majority are genuine, I have too much self respect for that. The best workers I have ever had either on my shifts or more recently working for my firm have alll turned up for work when they are ill. The amount of rubbish I have had to put up with over the years is staggering.

When I ran the night shift for 13 years at one firm, I would not even let them finish their sentence when they phoned in sick :

“Sorry I can’t come in tonight because..”

Ok let me know when you will be back - AND IMMEDIATELY HANG UP

and why is it ALWAYS a croaky voice ??

 

[darkwolf666]

Good post. Are universities seen as public or private? I thought most were charities which perhaps haven't been helped recently.

The hugely generalised condemnation of public sector workers on here is unfortunate. I am sure there are good and bad examples of profligacy, service provision and 'caring' in both the public and private sectors. Furthermore, the public sector is vast and covers so many different professions and jobs that generalisation is meaningless and unfair..

My own experience is in private sector business and 9 times out of 10, issues 'on the floor' start 'from above' as a result of poor decision making, an inability to recognise when working conditions or expectations become demotivating, or simply those 'in control' either not caring or simply being incompetent. I don't think public sector workers such as nurses, junior doctors and teachers come into this category but Ministers, MPs (of all colours) and NHS executives too often do.

As you say there are many generalisations on this thread, so thought I would add another.

I think there is a left/right split on this thread re public vs private sector perceptions...

 

[Curious Orange]

The last couple of days are a good reminder of why Labour's energy policy needs some work. The wind hasn't been blowing enough and the sun isn't shining enough, so even in this low demand part of the day 63% of our electricity (about 27GW) is coming from gas fired power stations.

Just under 8% of our electricity is coming from wind, hydro or solar.

Energy Dashboard - real time and historical GB electricity data, carbon emissions and UK generation sites mapping

Live and historical GB National Grid electricity data, showing generation, demand and carbon emissions and UK generation sites mapping with API subscription service.

www.energydashboard.co.uk

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Calling in sick when you are not sick is an epidemic! I have seen it for decades and I could not possibly say that I think the majority are genuine, I have too much self respect for that. The best workers I have ever had either on my shifts or more recently working for my firm have alll turned up for work when they are ill. The amount of rubbish I have had to put up with over the years is staggering.

When I ran the night shift for 13 years at one firm, I would not even let them finish their sentence when they phoned in sick :

“Sorry I can’t come in tonight because..”

Ok let me know when you will be back - AND IMMEDIATELY HANG UP

and why is it ALWAYS a croaky voice ??

I hate this attitude. There’s a guy I work with, a “manager”, who will always come in when ill, will work lots of extra hours unpaid, and to people like you, he’s a hero.

In actuality, he’s unproductive and indecisive, and struggles to manage his workload, and when he’s ill he inevitably spreads it to many more people in the office by coming in, meaning that more people get ill and inevitably need time off (because, you know, they’re ill), rather than spending the 1-2 days to get himself better and not infecting others.

That guy isn’t the winner you seem to think he is.

 

[beorhthelm]

The last couple of days are a good reminder of why Labour's energy policy needs some work. The wind hasn't been blowing enough and the sun isn't shining enough, so even in this low demand part of the day 63% of our electricity (about 27GW) is coming from gas fired power stations.

Just under 8% of our electricity is coming from wind, hydro or solar.

Energy Dashboard - real time and historical GB electricity data, carbon emissions and UK generation sites mapping

Live and historical GB National Grid electricity data, showing generation, demand and carbon emissions and UK generation sites mapping with API subscription service.

www.energydashboard.co.uk

and exporting power to wind reliant Denmark. trouble with prolonged high pressure over North Sea is Europe doesn't have any wind for days at a time, and double or triple of nothing is still nothing.

 

[Rdodge30]

I hate this attitude. There’s a guy I work with, a “manager”, who will always come in when ill, will work lots of extra hours unpaid, and to people like you, he’s a hero.

In actuality, he’s unproductive and indecisive, and struggles to manage his workload, and when he’s ill he inevitably spreads it to many more people in the office by coming in, meaning that more people get ill and inevitably need time off (because, you know, they’re ill), rather than spending the 1-2 days to get himself better and not infecting others.

That guy isn’t the winner you seem to think he is.

No idea who that guy is but I know exactly who my guys are

On the shift I run now we have a workload that we have to complete every shift … if all 4 of us are there, we finish in a reasonable time… if we are 1 short we will all work 2 or 3 hours overtime and may not get everything done.

Any one of us is guaranteed to turn up if we have the sniffles … or if we have a tickly throat or a headache etc etc etc. Anyone doesn’t turn up you 100% KNOW they are ill, in fact there really wouldn’t be any need to explain because our work ethic and integrity is beyond question.

Yet the dozens and dozens of people who regularly called in sick for me in the past, nothing would convince me they are genuinely ill.


If you hate my attitude, imagine what I think of yours

The good news for you is that Angela Raynor thinks it’s ok for anyone to go sick on their first day of employment. The conversations we’ve had at work between myself and Pompey Stevo and the boys about this basically revolve around the question, “Who the **** thinks that’s a good idea ?”

 

[Titanic]

As you say there are many generalisations on this thread, so thought I would add another.

I think there is a left/right split on this thread re public vs private sector perceptions...

But the 'lefties' in charge are taking an axe to the Civil Service... strange times indeed.

10,000 civil service jobs could go due to saving targets

A government source tells the BBC the increasing size of the civil service cannot continue.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[darkwolf666]

But the 'lefties' in charge are taking an axe to the Civil Service... strange times indeed.

10,000 civil service jobs could go due to saving targets

A government source tells the BBC the increasing size of the civil service cannot continue.

www.bbc.co.uk

This is quite an interesting read...

Civil Service - Numbers

 

[Thunder Bolt]

But the 'lefties' in charge are taking an axe to the Civil Service... strange times indeed.

10,000 civil service jobs could go due to saving targets

A government source tells the BBC the increasing size of the civil service cannot continue.

www.bbc.co.uk

Unsurprising when the Civil Service had expanded by 33% since 2016. It says so in that article.

 

[BBassic]

I hate this attitude. There’s a guy I work with, a “manager”, who will always come in when ill, will work lots of extra hours unpaid, and to people like you, he’s a hero.

In actuality, he’s unproductive and indecisive, and struggles to manage his workload, and when he’s ill he inevitably spreads it to many more people in the office by coming in, meaning that more people get ill and inevitably need time off (because, you know, they’re ill), rather than spending the 1-2 days to get himself better and not infecting others.

That guy isn’t the winner you seem to think he is.

No no no it's vitally important to go into work when you're sick and spread your germs around. How else will the bosses know that you're a team player? How else will they decide who to give a below inflation pay-rise to? How else will you prove that you're a big tough boy who doesn't give two shits about the health of the people around you?

 

[Rdodge30]

No no no it's vitally important to go into work when you're sick and spread your germs around. How else will the bosses know that you're a team player? How else will they decide who to give a below inflation pay-rise to? How else will you prove that you're a big tough boy who doesn't give two shits about the health of the people around you?

Sounds like you are working for the wrong bosses there - because none of that describes me …

there are a lot of people who think it’s ok to call in sick because they were out on the piss the night before, are hungover and didn’t get enough sleep…

you’re on here saying everyone who ever coughs or sneezes should stay off work?

 

[Machiavelli]

The hugely generalised condemnation of public sector workers on here is unfortunate. I am sure there are good and bad examples of profligacy, service provision and 'caring' in both the public and private sectors. Furthermore, the public sector is vast and covers so many different professions and jobs that generalisation is meaningless and unfair..

My own experience is in private sector business and 9 times out of 10, issues 'on the floor' start 'from above' as a result of poor decision making, an inability to recognise when working conditions or expectations become demotivating, or simply those 'in control' either not caring or simply being incompetent. I don't think public sector workers such as nurses, junior doctors and teachers come into this category but Ministers, MPs (of all colours) and NHS executives too often do.

Thanks for this, and I also go along with the contribution from @sussex_guy2k2
To illustrate this, we've got a small business owner whose wife works in the NHS and, on the basis of what he's been told, has come to the conclusion that many of the staff are off sick. We have someone else saying that they agree with this, yet go on to speak about senior managers, waste, etc (which in my view is something entirely different) but again based on what someone has told them.

There might be some stats supporting these views, and I'd offer that these would be more trustworthy sources.

 

[Machiavelli]

The last couple of days are a good reminder of why Labour's energy policy needs some work. The wind hasn't been blowing enough and the sun isn't shining enough, so even in this low demand part of the day 63% of our electricity (about 27GW) is coming from gas fired power stations.

Just under 8% of our electricity is coming from wind, hydro or solar.

Energy Dashboard - real time and historical GB electricity data, carbon emissions and UK generation sites mapping

Live and historical GB National Grid electricity data, showing generation, demand and carbon emissions and UK generation sites mapping with API subscription service.

www.energydashboard.co.uk

Give. Me. Strength.

 

[Curious Orange]

Give. Me. Strength.

Why?

Hydro power technology is looking promising and should eventually be able to cover some periods like these, and nuclear clearly should have a greater role too.

 

[BBassic]

Sounds like you are working for the wrong bosses there - because none of that describes me …

there are a lot of people who think it’s ok to call in sick because they were out on the piss the night before, are hungover and didn’t get enough sleep…

you’re on here saying everyone who ever coughs or sneezes should stay off work?

No, I'm not saying that.

I'm saying: if you're sick, stay at home and don't spread your germs about.

As for people sacking shit off because they're hungover - yep, that happens