Extract from Dave Hartnett's Comment on the People Survey

“I want to be clear that an overall score of 40 per cent remains a poor one and HMRC remains adrift of the highest-performing departments, although we don’t currently know where we stand in the overall league table.”

My comments..

Have the other Departments really been through the same turmoil as Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise? Oh am I still allowed to use those words or will they be picked up by the profanity filter?

If you are going to merge two Departments to achieve long term cost savings you should make sure from the outset that there will be NO losers. The newly formed Department’s attitude was to the contrary.

Some of the unforgivable injustices were:

• Grading “Adjustment” even bands disposed of and staff downgraded with pay frozen.
  
• Allowances such as ADP disposed of and staff pay frozen.

  These actions resulted in many staff not having any actual pay rise for year upon year, some staff still can not “Opt in” as they would lose money or other benefits.

  In addition to the above all previous HR processes appear to have been thrown out and new processes forced upon us, or maybe these processes were used in the other Department and adopted for all.

• LSE’s, the process (now used) unheard of in my experience (first joined Customs & Excise in 1971). Staff having to apply for their own jobs!

   
  In my humble opinion (I’m usually right) I believe when applying for a post, you should provide your CV, your last staff report, your completed application and line managers supporting comments. Interviews should be centred around the post you are applying for also the documentation and information you have provided.

On top of all the turmoil we are constantly having our pay & conditions attacked by our employer (the Government) not to mention the gutter press. I do get slightly sick of all the statements regarding how valuable and appreciated we are when this isn’t supported by fair treatment, respect and reward. Amazingly most of us still take our roles seriously and endeavour to work to the highest standards.