Working for the DWP

sam_melling

Hi all,

I just need some advice, I work for a travel company in Manchester but I live in Preston. So I went for a job at DWP to be nearer to home, I got the it, it's the same money and less travel.

The issue I have is working for the DWP, I have a few friends who work there and love it and one who hates it. My friend who hates it has been there since Jan and has made two honest mistakes but yet she is worried that she is going to get sacked. It seems if your face fits you get anyway with anything, if your face doesn't you don't.

I did explain to her they wouldn't sack her for two honest mistakes when somebody who messes with their holidays doesn't.

Does anyone else work for the DWP and what is their honest advice.

Thanks in advance.

samcarter2208

I personally wouldn't go, I worked for them for over 5 years and it was the worst five years of my life.

And tell your friend not to worry, if it's a honest mistake then she shouldn't have anything to worry about. And I know people who have done a lot worse than that and still work there.

anmarj

sam_melling wrote: »

It seems if your face fits you get anyway with anything, if your face doesn't you don't.

I did explain to her they wouldn't sack her for two honest mistakes when somebody who messes with their holidays doesn't.

Does anyone else work for the DWP and what is their honest advice.

Thanks in advance.

Hi

I have worked for them 13 years, 14 this year, and I still not risen from AO. I have been held back (i have some honest team leaders) becuase at the end of the day I produce the work and stats to a standard, occasionaly I will get offered something.

I have applied for promotion to EO, but to an office about 90mile away. I have barely got recent comptencies examples to use, they like less than two years old. I am suppose to have support for this interview, but would be lucky if that happened. I have also applied for EO in the office I am in, it is external, but the general think tank in the office, think that management to some extent will try and control who they get in.

For some people it can be a good job, and if you are not interested in development, it is a good job, but if you are interested, unless you are well and truely in the "incrowd" you may find it hard.

Voyager2002

I have only ever known one person who worked for the DWP, and when I met him he was a Director at the Food Standards Agency, so at some levels progression is certainly possible.

The Civil Service is obviously a lot more bureaucratic than most employers, and so the managers of a particular office cannot choose who to promote, and need to follow defined procedures in order to remove someone. Compare that with the private sector, where effectively you have no rights until you have been in the job for two years...

Madbags

My partner works for DWP. The CSA to be precise. Worked there for 5 nearly 6 years now.


Do you have a partner? Do you want to make him/her miserable by coming home every day in a crappy mood because your job sucks? Do you want to deal with clients of whom the majority seem utterly unhappy with you no matter what you try and do?


Long story short. She hates it and is always moaning about it. I am sure there are other departments in the DWP that might be give you a bit more job satisfaction but the CSA certainly doesn't seem to provide it. It's been a means to an end and nothing else. She desparately wants out lately but hasn't yet found anything else worthwhile so is sticking at it.


Some people she works with seem to get on fine though and don't seem miserable at all. So I guess at the end of the day it's a case of it either is for you or it isnt.

Darksparkle

Don't work for DWP but for another CS dept.

Started 10years ago as an AO and now an HO. OH has been in 12-13yrs and is a G7.

Depends what you want from a job. Work isn't great but the pay is okay, good pension, leave and flexibility. Ideal if you have a family or carer responsibilities. Have a job that I can go home at night and not need to worry about it.

As mentioned there are set processes in place for dealing with performance/conduct/attendance etc so they can't just tell you to leave.

Adereterial

anmarj wrote: »

Hi

I have worked for them 13 years, 14 this year, and I still not risen from AO. I have been held back (i have some honest team leaders) becuase at the end of the day I produce the work and stats to a standard, occasionaly I will get offered something.

I have applied for promotion to EO, but to an office about 90mile away. I have barely got recent comptencies examples to use, they like less than two years old. I am suppose to have support for this interview, but would be lucky if that happened. I have also applied for EO in the office I am in, it is external, but the general think tank in the office, think that management to some extent will try and control who they get in.

For some people it can be a good job, and if you are not interested in development, it is a good job, but if you are interested, unless you are well and truely in the "incrowd" you may find it hard.

On the other hand, I started there at the beginning of December 2008 as an AO, was promoted to EO in November 2009, and then to HEO in September 2010. I left in 2014 to join another department as I knew there were no opportunities for SEO likely in my area in the short-medium term. I switched roles internally every year roughly whilst I was an HEO.

If you want promotion, I'm assuming you've applied for the Fast Stream? If not, it's either open now or will be shortly.

To the OP - it's certainly not my favourite job and ever, but I largely enjoyed my time there for the most part and only left because I needed a new challenge. It's not perfect - no employer is - but my experience was that everyone was treated fairly and with respect and support.

Voyager2002

Adereterial wrote: »

On the other hand, I started there at the beginning of December 2008 as an AO, was promoted to EO in November 2009, and then to HEO in September 2010. I left in 2014 to join another department as I knew there were no opportunities for SEO likely in my area in the short-medium term. I switched roles internally every year roughly whilst I was an HEO.

If you want promotion, I'm assuming you've applied for the Fast Stream? If not, it's either open now or will be shortly.

To the OP - it's certainly not my favourite job and ever, but I largely enjoyed my time there for the most part and only left because I needed a new challenge. It's not perfect - no employer is - but my experience was that everyone was treated fairly and with respect and support.

You have obviously done far better than most people: you have achieved a lot and I'm sure you have earned it, but I don't think it is fair for other posters to expect to do as well as this.

For a long time there was a regulation that an EO had to serve for at least four years before being promoted. So getting promotion after just one year is remarkable. Come to that, the move from AO to a higher grade is not routine: I think that 90 per cent of the Service is at AO grade, so only a few people will make that leap.

You mention Fast Stream: this is only for bright graduates (I tried and failed twice and I have a PhD) and a few serving people sponsored by their departments, so would only be relevant to the OP if he has an appropriate educational background.

Adereterial

Voyager2002 wrote: »

You have obviously done far better than most people: you have achieved a lot and I'm sure you have earned it, but I don't think it is fair for other posters to expect to do as well as this.

For a long time there was a regulation that an EO had to serve for at least four years before being promoted. So getting promotion after just one year is remarkable. Come to that, the move from AO to a higher grade is not routine: I think that 90 per cent of the Service is at AO grade, so only a few people will make that leap.

You mention Fast Stream: this is only for bright graduates (I tried and failed twice and I have a PhD) and a few serving people sponsored by their departments, so would only be relevant to the OP if he has an appropriate educational background.

My progress was fairly rapid but it was by no means unusual. Of the 30 ish of us who were taken on at the end of 2008, 12 were successful in getting one of the EO positions available in 2009, a further 8 got EO on temporary promotion the following year by applying for advertised fixed term positions, & many were made permanent in 2011. I was one of three from my district that were successful in the HEO round in 2010 - I just happened to score higher so I got my role quicker than they did as I was higher on the merit list.

There is no rule on the length of time before you can apply for other positions. There may have been, but not anymore. It didn't exist in 2009. It may be more difficult if you're still within your probationary period, but that's it.

As an existing Civil Servant, HEO or under, you can apply for Fast Stream without a degree - for the generalist, project management, commercial and finance schemes. The others - European, Technology, Communications, HR and other require any degree and possibly some other qualifications, and the specialist engineering, analytical and statistical schemes require specific degree qualifications, but the 'generalist' scheme do not if you are an existing civil servant who will be in post when the Fast Stream starts. You no longer need to be sponsored by your department, and you're unlikely to remain in the same department now - you work in at least 3. My move was to the Fast Stream - I've since worked in MoD, The Insolvency Service, and Defra. I have a degree & a masters, but I didn't need them, as I was in-service at the point I joined FS.