[Cedwards38]

I worked 29 years in the public sector and have now worked for 8 years in the private sector, and I find examples of waste, incompetence, arrogance, laziness, and incredible creativity, competence, and sincere desire to do a good job in both. People are people, regardless of where they work, and frankly it is insulting to stereotype one or the other based on some few experiences.

As for getting rid of incompetent employees, its not easy, and shouldn't be easy to fire someone, but it can and is done by those who care and who are willing to do the hard work involved in doing it right.

[gmcneill]

Originally Posted by spk7951

It is not easy to get rid of bad employees in either the private or public sector, especially if they are union. That statement is not meant as anti union but based on experience. I spent some time as a union officer and saw cases where someone really deserved to be fired but the NLRB would almost always rule in our unions favor by saying "progressive" discipline had not been applied. Friends that worked for the state of CT experienced the same. Salary workers had less protection in the private sector.


Back in CT one of the things I really did not like hearing was during a snowstorm whatever governor we had would come out and say that non-essential state workers did not have to report to work. Really! To me that really sounded kind of de-meaning to be telling people they are non-essential. Never understood the need for that phrase.

No need to feel insulted or demeaned! I have to believe that no slight was intended.

As a now retired 33 yr employee of a SoFla city I experienced many hurricane response situations. At our agency- and I have to presume at any other agency- the term "non-essential personnel" directly referred only to those employees who did not perform emergency response duties.

For example, an accountant in the Finance Department is "non-essential" when
the job task is to clear storm drains during rain squalls in advance of a storm.
Using another analogy, firefighters would be "non-essential personnel" in the e
an IT network malfunction.

I presume that "non-essential personnel" is understood to apply to the particular situation, not the employee. I suppose that the Gov or whoever is in charge could change the reference from "non-essential" to "those personnel who are not members of the agency's emergency response teams..."

But that's not a suggestion that one would make during storm preparation or storm recovery modes.

[nitehawk]

Originally Posted by buggyone

This is just my personal rant that I want to express to the forum.

An acquaintance sent me one of those "Fw: Fw: Fw" emails that had gone to many, many addresses - you all know those kind.

This one had a series of photographs of humorous errors such as a package of corn labeled "watermelon", a package of blue & white frosted cookies labeled "black and white cookies", parking spaces with the curb in front so it would be impossible to park, a gate whose opening arm did not even reach the curb, etc. The title of the email was "It was your job and you screwed up - obviously Civil Service Employees!"

The idea that anything screwed up royally is the fault of civil service employees really ticks me off. Sure, there are some in every office, private sector or public sector, that are slugs or screw-ups but certainly not the majority of the employees.

My wife worked for 32 years at the Dept of Transportation ensuring the safety of airline passengers and the viability of airline transportation nationwide. I worked for the Dept of Veterans Affairs for 38 years and am proud to say that I created jobs for and placed hundreds of veterans in careers and jobs.

I am sure there are many others on this forum who have been civil service employees and have worked very hard in their careers and have the proud feeling of helping others.

So now you Fw: to TOTVs Thanks I just love --- never mind

[buggyone]

Originally Posted by nitehawk

So now you Fw: to TOTVs Thanks I just love --- never mind

What are you saying?

[kb8tpw]

This thread misses the real point. Most email systems have methods of shutting down a person's emails. I would shut them down so fast it's not funny, just like I UNFRIEND my Facebook friends that continue to use "f-bombs: in their messages and forwarding. I do not appreciate it and don't need to subject my other friends to such baloney. But here I go getting off topic. I too am a retired civil servant and very used to snide and un-whatever comments about civil service employees. I, as suggested above, consider the source and press on with life. Same for union member comments. Life is not a crappy email...........

[redwitch]

Once upon a time I was a civil service employee. I worked hard, did my job efficiently and effectively. So did my co-workers. However, being the greedy wench I am, I switched to the private sector and became a legal secretary. So, went from a possible career where everyone would assume I was lazy and incompetent to a career in which my employer was the brunt of every possible joke that could imply said employer was, at the very best, a snake and, obviously, I was the ground upon which that snake slithered.

Neither one attitude particularly bothered me nor those with whom I worked. We knew we weren't lazy and incompetent. My bosses knew they were good guys working in a profession that actually did a lot of good. Sometimes, that's what matters most -- that we know we're not as assumed. Basically, I knew the jokes and prevailing attitudes in both fields. I also knew that they weren't true. I think jokes like these are a lot different from bigoted jokes -- we have a choice as to where we work. We don't have a choice about the color of our skin or ethnic background.

A friend would never send me something that would demean me in any way, shape or form nor deliberately make a comment that would hurt me. That someone sent you this says far more about them than it does you or your wife.