Social welfare staff 'working flat out'.

[simplyjoe]

Mary Hanafin states that the social welfare staff are working 'flat out' in relation to dealing with benefit claims. Boo hoo Is this news? Should these staff not be working flat out at all times? You are either working or you are not. I am sure if they do o/t they get paid for it. Maybe if they spent a few weeks doing groundwork or labouring on a plasterer they would understand what real work is.

 

[gillarosa]

I know, I chuckled to myself when I heard this on Morning Ireland this am. But to put it in context her experience of the working world was as a School Teacher

 

[hizzy]

have to agree with ya jaybird, i have friends working for civil service and although i don't work for civil service am tired of the slagging off they get,

 

[briancbyrne]

But to put it in context her experience of the working world was as a School Teacher

dangerous ground!!

I know teachers who complete thier days work then come home and prepare for their next days classes (before going to a work related meeting and finally put thier feet up at 8,9 or 10 at night - 2 to 3 days a week)

 

[MrMan]

Everyone thinks their job is hard and others are simple. The labourer might be a physically tougher job but not mentally tougher. I think it helps some peoples self esteem to slag off others rather than examine exactly how hard they actually work.

 

[hizzy]

Government and private sector trying to blame civil servents for the economic crisis but in all honestly we know who is to blame.
"This ship of state did not drift onto the rocks due to an engine failure caused by the global financial crisis. This ship of state was driven full speed ahead onto the rocks, through a failed housing policy and reckless lending by the Banks

 

[contemporary]

dangerous ground!!

I know teachers who complete thier days work then come home and prepare for their next days classes (before going to a work related meeting and finally put thier feet up at 8,9 or 10 at night - 2 to 3 days a week)

And I know a number of teachers who dont.... come 2.30 that it until 9am

 

[parkmagic]

Another public sector bashing exercise. When will this stuff ever stop.

 

[z103]

This should be moved to a sub-forum in letting off steam.

Don't blame the public/private sector, blame bertie and co.

 

[briancbyrne]

And I know a number of teachers who dont.... come 2.30 that it until 9am

exactly!!
every sector have those who put in the effort and those that dont !! - I dont think its fair to bash the public service workers. They cant be blamed because the structure of the organisation in which they work is inefficient. If anyone is to blame its politicians for thier inability and unwillingness to take the tough decisions!

 

[simplyjoe]

In this instance I was not blaming public sector staff for the economic crisis. What I was commenting on was a minister thinking someone is noteworthy for doing what they are paid to do in the first place. They work 7 hours they get paid for 7 hours. Why should they be praised for this?
However As regards the public sector everyone knows there is slackness, overpayment, non accountability. How do we know? We are customers. We see it everyday in our dealings with social welfare offices, schools, HSE, land registry, county council offices, engineering staff, FAS, Bord of Works. Short hours, long holidays, 'compulsory' sick days, enhanced unpaid leave, continuity of service, every benefit known to man. Lads get off the fence - state it as it is. Just because you do not like people saying what they are entitled to and should say does not mean they should be silenced or put into an obscure section of the boards. For too long the country has stayed silent. Yes the banks and regulators should be sanctioned, yes the public sector is bloated, yes the HSE is a shame to us all, yes our politicians have been proven corrupt (you have not heard half it yet!). However we as ordinary individuals are also complicit in it. We seek advantages from our TDs, we continually voted for Fianna Fail when everyone knew what was going on, we fail to speak out when we see public sector wastage as we are afraid we will upset or friends and relations, we cheat on our taxes, we claim benefits we are not entitled to, we are sheep.

 

[simplyjoe]

exactly!!
every sector have those who put in the effort and those that dont !! - I dont think its fair to bash the public service workers. They cant be blamed because the structure of the organisation in which they work is inefficient. If anyone is to blame its politicians for thier inability and unwillingness to take the tough decisions!

Some merit in this statement. I disagree in that the public sector is way overpaid but agree in that those that do their job well are treated appropriately (sic?). However those that do not are not accountable. They get away with it. The inefficiency of the structure needs to be tackled but likewise the incompetent or unwilling employee also needs to be tackled.

 

[wheels]

I was in the Dublin 1 social welfare office two weeks ago. I queued for two hours with roughly 50 people in front of me, all going to one hatch where we registered our claim, and were given a time and date to come back on. During this time various other hatches opened randomly to see people who had appointments. At a number of stages during my time there, there were people sitting at empty hatches just looking out or chatting to each other. It drove me mad, if this were a business those people would be put to use by reducing the queue, instead they just sat there.

By the time I reached the top of the queue, I was treated like a child by a woman who practically read me a script and then proceeded chastise me for my lack of photo ID (my mistake, but it was my first time in a long time down there). My biggest bug bear was that, because we were all standing in the queue, I heard everything the 5/6 people in front of me said to her and she heard them. So obviously everyone could hear me.

I know it has to be done, and I'm not asking for special treatment, but their attitude disgusts me. I don't mind people treating me like that, I can stand up for myself, but on one occasion a man was shouting at a non national who couldn't understand that he was at the wrong hatch. I've worked i n a vast number of areas and have dealt with problem customers every day and never would I consider losing my cool with someone unless it was an extreme situation.

 

[z103]

However we as ordinary individuals are also complicit in it. We seek advantages from our TDs, we continually voted for Fianna Fail when everyone knew what was going on, we fail to speak out when we see public sector wastage as we are afraid we will upset or friends and relations, we cheat on our taxes, we claim benefits we are not entitled to, we are sheep.

I wasn't complicit in it. I spoiled my vote in the last few elections because there was no candidate I wanted in a position of power.
Blame people who voted in bertie, FF and co, not everyone in general.

 

[simplyjoe]

I wasn't complicit in it. I spoiled my vote in the last few elections because there was no candidate I wanted in a position of power.
Blame people who voted in bertie, FF and co, not everyone in general.

I understand. I was speaking we as the country voted them in. Like in the USA there is all this fuss because they voted in a black president. However these are the same people who voted George Bush into office twice.

 

[gillarosa]

In this instance I was not blaming public sector staff for the economic crisis. What I was commenting on was a minister thinking someone is noteworthy for doing what they are paid to do in the first place.

My response was similarly in regard to the Minister, I guess like the retelling of a bad joke you would have had to have been there. Her tone was incredibly cloying and condecending, gave the impression of 'aren't they grand, working away with all those masses of silly unemployed coming in to them'

 

[AlbacoreA]

Mary Hanafin states that the social welfare staff are working 'flat out' in relation to dealing with benefit claims. Boo hoo Is this news? Should these staff not be working flat out at all times? You are either working or you are not. I am sure if they do o/t they get paid for it. Maybe if they spent a few weeks doing groundwork or labouring on a plasterer they would understand what real work is.

Do you drive you car flat out all the time?

Do you get many older 40+ or for that matter 30+ labourers?

 

[AlbacoreA]

..At a number of stages during my time there, there were people sitting at empty hatches just looking out or chatting to each other. It drove me mad, if this were a business those people would be put to use by reducing the queue, instead they just sat there....

I have that experience every time in PC World.

That said I've heard this is a common experience in dole offices.

 

[wheels]

AlbacoreA, you won't find it all that often in business, especially at the moment because people don't stand for service like that. It really is a school mentality that they have going on in the social welfare offices.

After my queueing for two hours, I went back for my appointment today, I saw down handed over my info and I'll get a letter back. Literally 15 minutes. Had I been able to register my claim online and book the appointment I would have saved a lot of time and hassle. I'm not saying it should be easy but they do go out of their way to make it awkward and very unpleasant.

 

[Padraigb]

AlbacoreA, you won't find it all that often in business, especially at the moment because people don't stand for service like that...

You find it quite often in business, and I think AlbacoreA's example was spot on: PC World is one of the worst, and I have gone in to PC World with the intention of buying something and walked out without being able to!

You get good and bad everywhere. I could go on at length about bad experiences I have had with the private sector at both proprietor and employee levels.

I have also had some bad experiences at the hands of the public sector, perhaps slightly more in proportion to the number of interactions. But there is this: the bad experiences were not as bad. They were inefficiencies, delays, silly mistakes. I have not felt that people were setting out to cheat me, rip me off, or deny me my rights -- experiences which I have had with the private sector.