Do you think there is a lot of waste in the system?

avantra

This is a poll that try to assess the opinion of people who work either in the public sector or in the private sector.

The question today: Do you think there is a lot of waste in the system where you work or very little? (examples: too many people, too many people do little but get excellent benefits, jobs for jobs sake etc' etc').

Recently I started working with the NHS back office operation and as a first timer in the public sector it is an eye opening experience, it is so disconnected from the real economy I thought i'll try and see what other here think.

Kohoutek

I worked in the public sector once for six months (a university) and I didn't do anything. I would say productivity was at least 50% lower than the private sector, even from quite senior staff.

sjaypink

Might as well confess now, as I will probably be the only one voting for the last option.:D
Speaking only for my dept in my area- there is now little waste- everything has been slashed the last year or 2.
I imagine Local Authorities are worst for waste- I say this only due to hearing from friends who work there who seem to do little (albeit for very little pay), and seeing some of the responsibilities & pay ranges for higher graded positions :cool:

I don't know. The public sector is in transition. Any dept which is currently inefficient will not be so for much longer...

carolt

Having worked in both public and private education, I have no shadow of a doubt which provides better education for the money.

Clue: it's the one that isn't trying to produce a profit for shareholders/directors on top of the costs of providing an education.

carolt

sjaypink wrote: »

Might as well confess now, as I will probably be the only one voting for the last option.:D
Speaking only for my dept in my area- there is now little waste- everything has been slashed the last year or 2.
I imagine Local Authorities are worst for waste- I say this only due to hearing from friends who work there who seem to do little (albeit for very little pay), and seeing some of the responsibilities & pay ranges for higher graded positions :cool:

I don't know. The public sector is in transition. Any dept which is currently inefficient will not be so for much longer...

Great post.

I think the imagined gravy train choo-chooed off over the horizon some years ago.

There's been plenty of cost-cutting, redundancies, recruitment freezes etc etc since then.

Really2

carolt wrote: »

Having worked in both public and private education, I have no shadow of a doubt which provides better education for the money.

Clue: it's the one that isn't trying to produce a profit for shareholders/directors on top of the costs of providing an education.

I take it is not child education you do Carol as most private schools are Charities.;)

But for sure state schools usually have less funds at their disposal.

My wife works for the public sector and was telling me about a job today that had come up at their council that was basically managing opening times, meeting rooms and fire alarms (Business Continuity in council speak), wage £30K.
She says the waste in the public sector is massive, she has worked their 20 years and in that time there are now 4X as many staff yet the town population is about the same.
I work in the private sector and my job would be at least 4 different jobs in the public sector.

But I like to run a tight ship as I am responsible for the costs and the costs have got to be a lot less than income.
I think the above gives an idea why there is generally less waste in the private sector.
1 Budgets to the money given to them.
1 Budgets to make money.

ninky_2

yet another loaded poll. what do we mean by 'waste'? so if someone had a job getting paid 30k (around 600 quid a week before tax - not exactly a fortune) to manage fire alarm systems, meeting rooms and opening hours (personally i'd like to know that the fire alarm systems in public buildings were looked after by someone responsible) that is somehow more 'wasteful' than them being unemployed.

if 4x more people are working in the public sector in your town then there clearly aren't enough jobs in the private sector. or are there loads of great private sector jobs just lying vacant because the population can't wait to get on the public sector gravy train? i doubt it.

effeciently run (as in profit motivated) companies are not necessarily happy companies. a bit of slacking is good for the soul imho.

can you add the option - the public sector generally provides a better working environment and is generally better at providing the non money making things that society needs.

Really2

ninky wrote: »

yet another loaded poll. what do we mean by 'waste'? so if someone had a job getting paid 30k (around 600 quid a week before tax - not exactly a fortune) to manage fire alarm systems, meeting rooms and opening hours (personally i'd like to know that the fire alarm systems in public buildings were looked after by someone responsible) that is somehow more 'wasteful' than them being unemployed.

No It is managing in terms of telling people where to go. It's not technical, the average wage in that town is £20K FT.
Sorry my wife was surprised by it as it is in reality it's an administration post at nearly twice administration wage.
Not sure why people get offended when all I am relaying is what someone in the public sector as said.:(

PS not really sure public sector runs "happier" as it has a higher sickness rate than the private sector.
http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/05/14/45837/sickness-absence-rates-in-public-sector-outstrip-private-sector-by-55-in.html

ninky_2

Really2 wrote: »

PS not really sure public sector runs "happier" as it has a higher sickness rate than the private sector.
http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/05/14/45837/sickness-absence-rates-in-public-sector-outstrip-private-sector-by-55-in.html

and maybe people in the private sector end up going to work when they are actually sick? especially for jobs where there is no sick leave entitlement.

ses6jwg

public sector

jobs for the boys

maxing out of budgets at year end

Davesnave

I don't think it is sensible to lump all public or private sector jobs together.

Working in education, I was certainly not wasting anything; in fact I spent a lot of time each year raising extra money to fill the gaps! However, what I was doing bore no relation to, say, administrators' actions in the nearby hospital.