Incentivised Career Break 2012?

Flaker

Does anyone think the Government will re-introduce the incentivised career break for civil servants again in 2012? It's just that this budget seems to be aimed at reducing public service numbers and this was something they tried before. I would love it as I want to go back to college next year....

Delancey

Dunno if they will do it again but a word of warning - many staff in the HSE who took career breaks have not been taken back on yet - a break may become permanent .

Monife

Delancey wrote: »

Dunno if they will do it again but a word of warning - many staff in the HSE who took career breaks have not been taken back on yet - a break may become permanent .

Can they do that? I thought a career break was a for a set period amount of time and you have to return to work on a certain day. Surely if their parent department couldn't take them back due to numbers restrictions they would be put in another department.

mikemac1

Askaboutmoney.com have a lot of public servants over there so if you search around you'll find info

And it seems to confirm that if you take the career break then you may have difficulty getting restarted again

Plus they will start to wonder if they can do without all these staff why not just make them redundant. That's for another thread in another forum however

Anyway, have a look around that site
Here is one to get you started
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=102197

Monife wrote: »

Surely if their parent department couldn't take them back due to numbers restrictions they would be put in another department.

Possibly. But then the OP may be told to relocate to another city or county and maybe will not wish to do this.
For example welfare offices in towns around the country may be understaffed but other government departments in Dublin may be overstaffed.

Is the OP willing to move? They need to consider this

Monife

mikemac1 wrote: »

Possibly. But then the OP may be told to relocate to another city or county and maybe will not wish to do this.
For example welfare offices in towns around the country may be understaffed but other government departments in Dublin may be overstaffed.

Is the OP willing to move? They need to consider this

But decentralisation has been scrapped so they cannot be asked to move to another county. They can only be asked to move within 45km of their previous office under the Croke Park Agreement.

Stavro Mueller

Be very careful about this. There are people gone out on those where I work and from what I've heard at meetings, there is no guarantee that they will come back to us.

Chinafoot

A quick Google brings up this Q&A about the Incentivised Career Break from 2009: http://per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/QAcareerbreak.pdf

Q. Are people who apply for this scheme guaranteed jobs at the end of the career break?

A. Yes. The normal rules concerning career breaks will apply. Departments must
find a suitable vacancy in the Department or the wider civil service within 12 months of the end of a career break.

That could be a long 12 months if they can't bring you back in right away.

Chinafoot

wexfordgent wrote: »

OP

I don't get why CS deserve career breaks. I've worked in private companies ,if I decided go to college I would have to give up my job. Should be same for CS.

The incentivised career break was offered to reduce the pay bill of the civil/public service. Who said anything about deserving?

wexfordgent wrote: »

That's why our country is suffering, public sector underworked and overpaid. Sorry but this is annoying in the least

Oh change the record. I work for the public service and I can tell you that most people I work with make fúck all money. Yes there are those at the top on big money but you're a fool if you think everyone in the public service is overpaid. I'd suggest you stop reading the Sindo.

wexfordgent wrote: »

Returning to college is for retraining unemployed people to help our country out of recession

Riiiight. So people in the public and civil service shouldn't be allowed go to college to improve their skills and therefore improve the service they provide? Someone working in a finance department of the public service shouldn't be allowed a career break to go to college and gain accountancy qualifications? I work in the libraries department, should I not be allowed a career break to go to college and gain the qualification I need to become a librarian? Should I stay at grade 3 level on less than 30k a year? Returning to college is only for the unemployed....what a ridiculous statement.

As it happens I think the incentivised career break is a joke as I don't believe should be paid to go away for 3 years. I do however believe that career breaks can be a good thing for the service at large.

However, I'm sure all of that is lost on you since I'm a PS worker so I obviously sit on my arse all day making 60k+ a year. :rolleyes:

Chinafoot

wexfordgent wrote: »

Well chinafoot


Most public offices I have dealt with,the staff to me to are not overworked. 30k for stacking books..... Unbelievable !

Are you an engineer?

Ha , as I said paid to much

LOL.

And what public offices are those? Examples would be a lovely change from the "all PS workers are overpaid and do nothing" bull that is constantly spouted around here.

I said I make LESS THAN 30k. I did not tell you how much I make.

Also, "stacking books?" You have absolutely no idea what is involved in running a library and are doing nothing other than showing your complete ignorance. Well done. Perhaps you could benefit from a library membership, it certainly sounds like you could do with it.

Monife

I work in the civil service but am on a temporary 2 year fixed term contract. I get paid under 24K and have been there almost 18 months. My colleagues who have worked there over 5 years (permanent) come out with the same as I do per week after all the cuts and new levies so your nonsense about overpaid should be ignored by all.

They have not (nor have I heard are planning to) bring back the paid career break. Although you can take an unpaid career break.

Chinafoot

wexfordgent wrote: »

It is the private sector supporting your overpaid job.

I think you would not last in a real job. Enjoy the book stacking.

Seriously, educate yourself. Your Sindo soundbites only serve to make you look idiotic.

I do love that..."you would not last in a real job". So predictable :rolleyes:

Congratulations, you have made yourself look incredibly ignorant. Well done sir.

Flaker

I'm the OP and I didn't start this thread so that people could turn it into a Public Service bashing thread.

I work in a SW local office and I can tell you I earn every cent I get. It is an incredibly hard job and I am also glad to have it. I would also love to retrain as a nurse and hopefully will do it with or without the ICB. It was just a question.

Why shouldn't I be allowed a career break? My brother in the private sector got one and got put back into his old position. I would most likely have to work at a different job in a different town, but I'd be fine with that.

To those who think all civil and public servants have a cushy number - wise the f*ck up. You haven't a clue what you are talking about.

mikemac1

Flaker wrote: »

I work in a SW local office

Well this may be in your favour. You only have to look at the queues to see staff are needed, every hatch should be working to clear queues and backlog

It's not like you have some non-job where you are not needed.

If there was an area that would take you back I think it would be this in Dept of Social Protection
All the same, it's a risk as you know

mikemac1

wexfordgent wrote: »

The country will wise up, and cut your salary. To 7.65 hour like other skilled professionals. They have to accept it. Go back to your cushy jobs.

FAIL

That is not the minimum wage, it's €8.65

Eoin

@wexfordgent do not post in this thread again.

vikingdub

Chinafoot wrote: »

The incentivised career break was offered to reduce the pay bill of the civil/public service. Who said anything about deserving?



Oh change the record. I work for the public service and I can tell you that most people I work with make fúck all money. Yes there are those at the top on big money but you're a fool if you think everyone in the public service is overpaid. I'd suggest you stop reading the Sindo.



Riiiight. So people in the public and civil service shouldn't be allowed go to college to improve their skills and therefore improve the service they provide? Someone working in a finance department of the public service shouldn't be allowed a career break to go to college and gain accountancy qualifications? I work in the libraries department, should I not be allowed a career break to go to college and gain the qualification I need to become a librarian? Should I stay at grade 3 level on less than 30k a year? Returning to college is only for the unemployed....what a ridiculous statement.

As it happens I think the incentivised career break is a joke as I don't believe should be paid to go away for 3 years. I do however believe that career breaks can be a good thing for the service at large.

However, I'm sure all of that is lost on you since I'm a PS worker so I obviously sit on my arse all day making 60k+ a year. :rolleyes:

I suggest that you do what those of working in the private sector do and have always done, either study part-time, that is on your own time, evenings, weekends, etc. The other option is to quit your job, return to education full time and take your chances.

I know a number of public sector employees who have studied part-time while working full time, unlike the private sector they get some or all of their fees reimbursed, exam leave, study leave, something that private sector employees can only dream of. I also have severe doubts as to how their studies have improved their ability to provide a service to the public.


Public sector employees need to get a taste of the chill wind of reality, I accept that many are poorly paid as are many in the private sector, however, private sector employees have not job security and none of the perks available to the public sector.

The State (your employer) is broke, in the private sector that means redundancy, with the statutory payment if you are lucky, no top-ups, golden handshakes. You also have a guaranteed pension, those of us who have paid substantial PRSI contributions can only look forward to reduced State pensions with no taxfree payoff from our employer when we reach pension age.

The Croke Park agreement should be scrapped along with the quangos, including FAS, and all staff made redundant with only statutory redundancy payments.

The perk of paid sick leave is also something that needs to be addressed in the public sector, along with the other payments received by certain elements.

pow wow

Flaker wrote: »

Why shouldn't I be allowed a career break? My brother in the private sector got one and got put back into his old position.

In the private sector it's rare for career breaks to be incentivised in any way, shape or form. As a now ex-civil servant I know of more than a handful of people who took the offer and haven't been able to get back in since. As many have retrained in other industries during the career break it's not the end of the world for them, but as someone else said it could be the full 12 months you were waiting for re-entry if you were to avail of a break.

mikemac1

vikingdub wrote: »

I know a number of public sector employees who have studied part-time while working full time, unlike the private sector they get some or all of their fees reimbursed, exam leave, study leave, something that private sector employees can only dream of.

Plenty of companies work with staff on courses

When I worked as a minimum wage barman I pushed myself forward for trainee manager and the hotel offered to pay for me through college in Shannon

Most large financial services companies will pay for courses, many costing thousands of euro. Study leave is there too but it might be one day per exam so not a lot
Boards seems to have a huge amount of people in IT and I've read posts here about going for courses that their employer would support them with.

So it's out there, not just something people dream of.
As with anything, depends where you're working

Oafley Jones

mikemac1 wrote: »

Plenty of companies work with staff on courses

When I worked as a minimum wage barman I pushed myself forward for trainee manager and the hotel offered to pay for me through college in Shannon

Most large financial services companies will pay for courses, many costing thousands of euro. Study leave is there too but it might be one day per exam so not a lot
Boards seems to have a huge amount of people in IT and I've read posts here about going for courses that their employer would support them with.

So it's out there, not just something people dream of.
As with anything, depends where you're working

Precisely, I remember one woman in my full-time Electronic Eng. class was there on Apples dime. I'd imagine that this sort of career advancement is the norm in most decent companies. To say that its something we could only dream of is just hyperbolic nonsense.

Chinafoot

vikingdub wrote: »

I suggest that you do what those of working in the private sector do and have always done, either study part-time, that is on your own time, evenings, weekends, etc. The other option is to quit your job, return to education full time and take your chances.

I know a number of public sector employees who have studied part-time while working full time, unlike the private sector they get some or all of their fees reimbursed, exam leave, study leave, something that private sector employees can only dream of. I also have severe doubts as to how their studies have improved their ability to provide a service to the public.

Well first of all, I am currently finishing my masters in Information and Library Studies which I have done through distance learning with a Welsh university. I work full-time thanks. This qualification is a requirement for a librarian position, so yes, having it does improve my ability to provide a service. My fees will be reimbursed and I have not received study leave. Both my uncle and a friend are accountants in the private sector and they have had their course fees reimbursed and have received fully paid study leave and exam leave. The fact that I didn't go down the career break route doesn't mean I think it shouldn't be available to other people. I see no issue with people taking career breaks once it doesn't impact too greatly on the department they are in. I do however strongly disagree with paying people to take a career break.

vikingdub wrote: »

Public sector employees need to get a taste of the chill wind of reality, I accept that many are poorly paid as are many in the private sector, however, private sector employees have not job security and none of the perks available to the public sector.

And what perks would those be? In my department we are haemorrhaging staff and there is zero possibility of any additional staff or internal promotions. The only voluntary contribution I make from my fortnightly pay is my €8 union sub. Where are the perks? I have job security sure, but I can tell you I would gladly give it up for the ability to progress in my career.

vikingdub wrote: »

The State (your employer) is broke, in the private sector that means redundancy, with the statutory payment if you are lucky, no top-ups, golden handshakes. You also have a guaranteed pension, those of us who have paid substantial PRSI contributions can only look forward to reduced State pensions with no taxfree payoff from our employer when we reach pension age.

And you can't set up your own pension fund, no? Money for my pension comes out of my pay - something that many people seem to ignore when on their PS bashing rants.

vikingdub wrote: »

The Croke Park agreement should be scrapped along with the quangos, including FAS, and all staff made redundant with only statutory redundancy payments.

I agree. I don't believe anyone should get a huge payoff like they do at the top. I htink you'll find that with the exception of those at the very very top, most PS/CS employees would agree.

vikingdub wrote: »

The perk of paid sick leave is also something that needs to be addressed in the public sector,

I agree completely. Then again, I rarely need to take any sick leave.

vikingdub wrote: »

along with the other payments received by certain elements.

Feel free to elaborate.

The hatred expressed by people towards the PS is absolutely bizarre to me. I work damn fúcking hard for what little I get paid as do many people in the public and civil service. Is there dead weight that needs to be got rid of? Absolutely. Is it fair to tar all staff with the same ridiculous brush? Not a chance. Its pathetic.