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I believe the OP has mentioned something related to engineering related to new construction, which is by its nature pretty unstable. We're in a boom period now where everyone is trying to build, build, build, but what happens a few years down the road when it's like it was back in 2006-8 with all the vacant lots/buildings no one wanted to buy because the bubble burst?
Remember during the "New Economy" in the early naughts when all the tech workers had great stock options? Remember when they had super high salaries? Remember when all those jobs went away and they had no jobs for a few years? Again, those seemed awesome at the time, but they weren't so awesome when those people were unemployed because they were way overpaid to start with for the particular skill set they had.
All the construction-related workers were out of work applying for the very limited government jobs available. One thousand engineers applying for that same federal GS-11 engineering position in flyover country? Check. Pay tens of thousands of dollars less than those engineers used to make? Check.
I'm in an right-to-work state, so we have no union protection in government. For the most part, positions are eliminated every year and we're doing 2 or 3 people's jobs because no positions that are vacated are ever filled. If people complain because nothing is finished on time, it's because overtime is never approved and most workers aren't allowed to work more than 40 hours a week or accrue comp time. There have been no substantive raises for many entities (municipal, county, state) for 5-10 years.
However, it is stable, so when there is a recession people typically do have a job (although there are layoffs and firings) as opposed to in the private sector. If people are laid off, they also have rehire rights if they are in the civil services.
I have no idea where this person lives. Obviously, someone in a good field in a prosperous, major metro area is going to be better off than an average person in small town USA.
There is a major building boom going in Nashville right now. Rent and property values have skyrocketed. I was downtown last month and have never seen so many cranes in my life. There is a lot of private sector activity going on, but what happens if the economy there cools off? A lot of those workers are going to be sacked.
Where I'm at, there is no boom, but some slow, steady growth. While our economy isn't as healthy as Nashville, by a long shot, I don't expect the construction sector to have the bottom fall out.
Yes, there are jobs out there like the OP in the private sector which are well-compensated and quite plush. Still, if I was an average stiff making $40k-$60k, I'd generally rather be in the public sector.
I have had many experiences with non-motivated state employees. I've worked in both the public and private sectors. I'm currently in the private sector and intend on staying put.
I currently have 2 interns who are working for my company and 2 state interns. I have come to find my interns a lot more dependable than the state interns. I tell my interns to do something, they do it. In fact, they are now capable of doing professional calculations and reports on their own without being babysat. I have also come to realize that the state interns in my office cannot be depended on anything.
2 weeks ago, I told one of the state interns to go to xyz folder. He should find 5 pages. I told him to write "Type E" on top of those pages. While sitting and joking around, he said ok. I just checked those pages this morning. Nothing.
This is the same pattern that I observed back when I worked for the state. Yes, there are good honest workers working in the public sector. But the way the system is there are simply too many slackers who get away with doing the absolute minimum.
The 2 state interns have been working in my office. From their attitude, I would never hire them. While my interns are hard at work and trying to learn as much as they could, the state interns would just be joking around or doing things as slow as they can get away with.
Sometimes, I like to take the interns out to show them the actual construction and teach them stuff. I would ask them what is that or why are they doing xyz? My interns would be trying come up with answers and listen intently as I explain things. The state interns most of the time don't even pay attention or would be on their phone.
It is obvious the state interns did not get the job based on merits.
I have a few questions related to this after reading a lot of the comments through the thread:
1. Should interns be highly motivated when you are giving them a task of typing a nomenclature on a page while they see others "doing professional calculations and reports"?
2. Do you typically wait two weeks to review tasks that are assigned?
3. Do you have discretion with coaching and discipline over these interns? Have you even tried to work with them or does your past prejudice taint that ability?
4. Perhaps the internship was not based on ability. Some are based on specific programs or locations and are not awarded on merit. Did you get to choose or be a part of the process that identified the interns?
It is true that many public sector employees may be unmotivated, but I believe that falls largely on their leadership. Having worked and managed in private, not-for-profit, and public sector, I will argue that poor personnel management and failures of mid and upper level leadership to coach and inspire their teams is the root cause.
Do you like whiplashing abusive bosses?
or do you rather join a union?
Your choice.
I see no indication that the OP is a "whiplashing abusive boss", quite the opposite in fact.
The fact that you see his thread and identify his efforts of delegating tasks to his employees as "whiplashing" and "abusive" tells us everything we need to know. The description of government employees as lazy may indeed be an unfair caricature, but you do nothing to help dismiss that stereotype.
I see no indication that the OP is a "whiplashing abusive boss", quite the opposite in fact.
The fact that you see his thread and identify his efforts of delegating tasks to his employees as "whiplashing" and "abusive" tells us everything we need to know.
That hes jealous that he can't get a government job thats more relaxed and slow pace than his environment?
That I can get my job done without having a micro managing boss to watch me every minute?
That I can work at my own pace
I get my work done so not sure exactly whats missing here unless you consider that lazy
I'll tell you this if you think you can get away with not doing nothing at all day in state employment thats not how it works out.
If I don't get my tickets done I could get in trouble, there's no way I can keep my job if I don't take care of my tickets
Last edited by CosmoStars; 01-04-2017 at 12:41 PM..
That hes jealous that he can't get a government job thats more relaxed and slow pace than his environment?
That I can get my job done without having a micro managing boss to watch me every minute?
That I can work at my own pace
I get my work done so not sure exactly whats missing here unless you consider that lazy
I'll tell you this if you think you can get away with not doing nothing at all day in state employment thats not how it works out.
If I don't get my tickets done I could get in trouble, there's no way I can keep my job if I don't take care of my tickets
That exists in the private sector as well.
My boss when I was a union state employee was FAAR worse than any boss I've ever had in the private industry. Talk about a micromanager. I haven't even talked to my current boss since mid-Dec. When I was a union boy, I think I threw two phones off the wall because of my micromanaging boss calling every 5 mins and yelling about something.
Not everyone in private sector works 16 hour days for a whiplashing boss, just like not everyone who is in a union sits and hides for 7 hours a day.
That hes jealous that he can't get a government job thats more relaxed and slow pace than his environment?
That I can get my job done without having a micro managing boss to watch me every minute?
That I can work at my own pace
I get my work done so not sure exactly whats missing here unless you consider that lazy
I'll tell you this if you think you can get away with not doing nothing at all day in state employment thats not how it works out.
If I don't get my tickets done I could get in trouble, there's no way I can keep my job if I don't take care of my tickets
I don't know the guy, but I see no indication of jelousy in his thread and he clearly indicated he does not want to babysit (micromanage) his employees.
You are really too defensive here. try another approach to get your point across.
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