Why should public sector be better off?

vyle

Caroline73 wrote: »

One day I forgot a pen and had to go around asking people to borrow a spare one etc. When I told my private sector working husband (we have rivetting conversations) and he asked me why I hadn't gone and got one from the stationery cupboard. Total niavety.

Have you had to arrange your desk to be "lean" or have they stopped that now?

Luckily in my current job, my pockets are bulging with pens because company reps keep giving them to me.

I often have colleagues moan about our job, but I point out the perks I have now, that i would NEVER have had in the public sector and they end up feeling lucky.

My pension is better, the company actually buys me train tickets and rooms in 4 star hotels when I have to go away for business, rather than having to buy the tickets myself and do the hotel myself and fill in a lot of long and tedious forms trying to justify how I dared stay a night somewhere.

The christmas meal is paid for by the company and the christmas party is subsidised heavily.

Actually that's quite a funny one because at HMRC when we had a christmas meal, we had to go out during work time, pay for ourselves, then make up the time difference after, meaning nobody wanted to go. Politics however meant that everyone went, sat in agitated silence, ate as fast as possible then hurried back to work. It was so sad.

sjaypink

karens wrote: »

Would you really say that to her? You should be ashamed of yourself.

Why???

Is it not nice to make assumptions about things you know nothing about?

Yes, I have deliberately gone on the wind-up to make my point, that may be not in some peoples taste but its certainly not shameful.

You however should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for holding such lazy, uninformed, stereotypical opinions. Do you not think the time you have spent spouting such utter rubbish on this thread could have been better spent researching the matter further? Because no pensioner in this country has to survive on £97 per week.

Perhaps a bit less time indulging yourself in a spot of bitching, bit more time opening your mind and engaging a brain cell or two may have been useful. If you can scrape around for a third you may even qualify for one of this cushy public sector job, then with your new found wealth you can help out poor old Nan

System

You get out what you put in.

If you rely on the state pension alone you will get the minimum the state deems fit to give you.

If you also have the foresight to pay into a personal pension or company pension scheme then you will get more - but don't forget OP that whatever sector you work in and whatever pension schemes you pay into the government sets a limit on what you can actually draw tax free on your pension when you retire so some of these people you have so delighted in sl~gging off in your posts will actually be taxed on their hard earned pensions. The government won't let them live the life of riley as you think they can.

Also, you need to wise up - pension contributions and in some cases final pensions are linked to earnings, the more you earn the more you contribute at the end (refer to my opening sentence) BUT to earn more you need to apply yourself more, get qualifications, push yourself etc! Get it?!?

Maybe too late to make a difference to your Nan but not to late to make a difference for you.

I work in the private sector and I have to put 11% of my salary into my pension, this will give me a decent lump sum and a decent pension when I come to retire hopefully. But I think it's clear from reading this thread that there are decent pensions in public AND private sector in the same way as there are good and bad jobs and good and bad salaries in both sectors. Mind you common sense should tell you that!

Get over yourself and get that chip off your shoulder!

And before you have a go at me for having a go at your Nan, my Gran is 99 and has survived on the basic state pension for 39 years so far so it can be done.

gregg1

karens wrote: »

You sound quite self-satisfied, Slagalot. One day, the wheel will come full circle and you will find yourself on the ground looking up. You may never know what she feels like until it does. I am astonished by your cruel words - she is an old lady for God's sake!

But she has not always been an old lady has she "for God's sake!". It is down to the individual to make provision for themselves and think to the future when they are younger. Unfortunately a lot of people prefer to put off thinking about their old age until they get there by which time it's too late so they start kicking off about how unfair life is (or someone else does it for them!)

karens_3

sjaypink wrote: »

Why???

Is it not nice to make assumptions about things you know nothing about?

Yes, I have deliberately gone on the wind-up to make my point, that may be not in some peoples taste but its certainly not shameful.

You however should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for holding such lazy, uninformed, stereotypical opinions. Do you not think the time you have spent spouting such utter rubbish on this thread could have been better spent researching the matter further? Because no pensioner in this country has to survive on £97 per week.

Perhaps a bit less time indulging yourself in a spot of bitching, bit more time opening your mind and engaging a brain cell or two may have been useful. If you can scrape around for a third you may even qualify for one of this cushy public sector job, then with your new found wealth you can help out poor old Nan

Pompous idiot! You think low-paid workers can afford to put ANYTHING away? Don't accuse me of being ill-informed! You probably don't think such people exist! Or, if you do, you probably think it serves them right.

karens_3

No-one has mentioned the Royal Mail pension black hole of £10 billion whilst we are discussing pensions. I think the best thing is to get all those nice sorting office staff and postmen who emptied birthday cards of cash over the years to put it into the pension scheme. Should fill it easily.
Isn't that the gist of what you are saying on this thread - take responsibility for your own retirement.
I'd go along with that! I certainly don't want to help.

nearlyrich

I am not a public servant I have in the past worked for the local council and for the DWP but for over 20 years I have worked in the private sector and I have always contributed to my own pension even if the employer wasn't contributing. I currently have the most generous pension scheme I have ever had I still need to pay in myself. My DD is a public servant she pays 15% of her salary into their scheme which is why she will have a generous pension when she retires hopefully. I don't begrudge anyone getting a decent payout and even so called non-contributory pensions are paid for oer the years by the recipient having a lower salary than the same job would attract in the private sector. Too many people look at what others have worked for and want it without having put in the work or the sacrifice ( pay into a pension or go to the Carribean every year??) I have saved and invested to retire early and before the recent drop in savings rate I was well on track to be pretty comfortable on my own efforts I still get people saying it's a waste of time saving as the government top your income up, my ambition has always been to be above that level anyway.

Andy_L

nearlyrich wrote: »

My DD is a public servant she pays 15% of her salary into their scheme which is why she will have a generous pension when she retires hopefully.

Where does she work?, I'm curious as to which public sector scheme has a 15% employee contribution rate

richardvc

Can I just ask where do all the stories about the public sector come from ?

It wasn't that long ago that a large proportion of the British public used to look down their noses at public sector workers now it appears that they are jealous of them !!!!!!

mysparrow

karens wrote: »

Pompous idiot! You think low-paid workers can afford to put ANYTHING away? Don't accuse me of being ill-informed! You probably don't think such people exist! Or, if you do, you probably think it serves them right.

NHS staff (excluding medics) are paid according to this...
http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/233901/003303.pdf

Band 1-2 workers need O-levels/ GCSE equivalence
Band 3 A level equivalence
Band 4 Foundation degree
Band 5 Honours degree
Band 6 Honours degree plus postgraduate qualification
Band 7 Band 6 quals plus a Masters
Band 8 & up professional doctorate/ management qual

Staff can move up the career ladder but it takes time, effort & much dedication to your job. If you think you can hack it come & join us.
Benefits - contributory pension scheme, death in service (2x salary to partner), 37.5 hour week, holidays start at 22 days to max of 33 after 10 years continuous service. Oh and £5 bonus at Xmas which is not allowed as cash or gift but a free lunch from the canteen (if you have one of course).
£13,653 low enough for you?