Civil Servant Covid Recognition

Were you ever at risk of losing your job, and do you think many in the private sector suffered drop in wages? Yet we don’t keep bleating about it.

Yes, I was, because I literally was earning about €40 a week less than I would have received in benefits at the time. I had to decide whether to stick or quit, but I was thinking of the long term game, so I stuck with it. (More fool me, I think sometimes).

And please, the private sector never stop bleating on about it!!! That's how most of these type of threads start.

As someone else said, if anyone in the private sector thinks the grass is so much greener on the public sector side, then come join the ranks of the civil and public service. You'll be in for a rude awakening.

Staff were willing to do it

who do you think put through your pup payments and answered Covid helplines... The tooth fairy😂

My antenna is just fine, thank you.

I was working so many hours because it was an extraordinary situation, one I hope will end soon, and hope to never see again in my lifetime. If I didn't work them, others (ironically, in the private sector) would have been put under added stress.

I don't know where you pick up the attitude that I am looking for bonuses or compensation for the extra time. I specifically stated I am not. I'm simply asking for less disrespect, towards a large group who were working as hard, sometimes harder and often with extra challenges, during the pandemic.

While job security in the public sector is good, it is not what it once was. (Probably since around 1995!). There era of "jobs for life" is long gone, another myth the private sector like to make around the public one.

And while you seem to think the public sector is insulated, it is not. We may not have had direct job losses or loss of earnings during the pandemic, but I guarantee you we will end up paying for it in terms of indirect cuts, "emergency financial measures" , embargos on recruitment, retirees not replaced, vacancies not filled, or other measures that will follow afterwards.

I can't really speak for what the private sector feel, only give my impression that they seem to begrudge every-single-thing about the terms and conditions of the public sector - except for the pay rates.

Its funny that you actually believe that.

I wouldn't have been leaving my job for a better paid one. I would have been leaving my job to go on social welfare, which would have been more than I was earning, at the time.

But you knew that was the point I was making, and you chose to ignore it, Dav10.

Which tells me you are not being genuine, and are unwilling to take on board anything I say. So, I'll leave it there.

Loueze, choosing to leave your job so you could sit on your hole, then deciding to play “the long game” is not, nor has it ever been the same has loosing your job either. It really is bizarre that you cannot tell the difference.