How has the recession affected you?

Becky, not having a go but would you really be entitled to a 12k pension at 60 after just 20 years work? I really wouldn't worry about private sector employers thinking you were somehow damaged from working in the public service. Can't see any employer thinking that way and if they did, you wouldn't want to work for them anyway.
 
Sorry to rain on your parade Sunny but not only would I (as a self-employed person) not hire becky but I wouldn't even bother my barney to interview her.

The reasons? Today, Friday, I'm away with one of the lads who works for me. There's no chance we'll see our families before Sunday night 10pm and we'll be at work again at 8am Monday morning. Since Friday last week we've clocked-up 2500kms in the car and this morning I was woken by one of my other employees at 7am (we're only 4 in the company) asking me for stock sheets from customers we visited yesterday so she can get orders prepared and out to the courier for Saturday morning delivery (who obviously has a similar lifestyle to us) and today I'll be visiting shops 'til 10pm (we sell into the retail industry and 10pm is when the shops in the Malls close).

We're a small tight team ranging in age from 27 to 48. We all appreciate that what has to be done has to be done or we don't eat. Tuesday next week is a day off when the 2 lads in the company will be going Pike fishing (the ladies can do as they wish although they have been known to pick up a rod too!).

Can you see any place in our business for someone who for 20 years clocked-on at 9am 'til 5pm Mon-Fri and switched their phones off for an hour at lunchtime??????????
 
That is one of the most stupid posts I have read in a long time and not even worth commenting on.
 
Birroc said:
Why?
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Because he knows nothing about the person except they work in the public sector and so they are not good enough to employ. As logical as saying I am not hiring you because you are a woman.
 
Say becky gets 80k lump sum, and 12k pension at 60 and another later lump sum of 30k ( all paid for by taxes )and then 3/4 years later gets the same job back in the HSE, exactly what good has that done for the taxpayer?

It makes perfect sense that having received this amount of money/deal, that they should not go back into the PS for a period of time.

Regarding the issue of employers not taking on PS workers, I do think in fairness that becky has a point..Ps workers do have a bad reputation,rightly or wrongly,and I think most private sector employers would be weary of taking them on.Becky has said that herself.
I also think that this is very unfair as there are some great people there,but "a few bad apples etc,which is why I think that those who are the hard dedicated workers in the PS get a very raw deal..
 
This is ridiculous. So there are no bad apples on the private sector? I have hired some wasters in my time! Employing anyone is a risk. By the way I work in the private sector.
 
You are missing the point,which is the whole of the PS has a bad reputation, this is not the case in the private sector!
You can also get rid of the "wasters",whereas the PS cant.So its unlikely that a "waster" would have managed to hold down a job in the private sector.

Dont tell me that you cant hear the collective "groan " when someone in a group mentions they work for the PS.
I said earlier that I think this is very unfair..
 
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would it be fair to say that a majority of people who use this forum are professionals (not involved in Construction industry..Architects Engineers etc..) its no real surprise then you haven't been too badly effected then..I suspect that anyone working in a big law firm/accountancy/valuers etc may have benefited from the Governments 2.3 billion fund for services to NAMA etc.. bank employees are being paid albeit less through government bail-out funds, and alot of developers have access to similar type funding to pay their staff...the rest of you may be involved with multi-national corporation whose link with countries finance is vastly less significant than domestic industry (profits sent back to mothership etc...)so AAM may not be the best place to gauge the mood of the nation..although i am sure its an exercise in self assurance to tell other that you're coping just fine...I don't think recessions are ever balanced fairly across society and its unfortunate that those worst effected are people who for what ever reason may not have had the opportunity to become a professional.
 
I work in the private sector in the UK, my wife is a public sector worker in RoI, so we have collectively been affected a bit so far.

Although I have not been affected myself, I do think that as a family we will be hit over the next 4 or 5 yrs with budget hits in Ireland. And hopefully my own job will be ok.
 
We stopped opening on Saturdays, due to it not being busy enough to warrant it, so I'm down that much in my wages. Other than that, I've become a bit more prudent with my money, not as prepared to splash it all out stupidly as I may have been prone to. Other than that, life is pretty much the same I guess.
 
ccbkd said:
so AAM may not be the best place to gauge the mood of the nation..although i am sure its an exercise in self assurance to tell other that you're coping just fine....
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Of course it's not the best place and none of us think it is, it's a particular group of people not a statistical sample.
And posting our situation on this thread is not an exercise in self assurance, it's just sharing our experience. It feels like you're being critical? But the theads asks the effects of recession on us and people responded.
 
ccbkd said:
would it be fair to say that a majority of people who use this forum are professionals (not involved in Construction industry..Architects Engineers etc..) its no real surprise then you haven't been too badly effected then..I suspect that anyone working in a big law firm/accountancy/valuers etc may have benefited from the Governments 2.3 billion fund for services to NAMA etc.. bank employees are being paid albeit less through government bail-out funds, and alot of developers have access to similar type funding to pay their staff...the rest of you may be involved with multi-national corporation whose link with countries finance is vastly less significant than domestic industry (profits sent back to mothership etc...)so AAM may not be the best place to gauge the mood of the nation..although i am sure its an exercise in self assurance to tell other that you're coping just fine...I don't think recessions are ever balanced fairly across society and its unfortunate that those worst effected are people who for what ever reason may not have had the opportunity to become a professional.
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I very much doubt the majority of people are professionals. I am certainly not. Also everyone has the chance to get a profession.
 
thedaras said:
Say becky gets 80k lump sum, and 12k pension at 60 and another later lump sum of 30k ( all paid for by taxes )and then 3/4 years later gets the same job back in the HSE, exactly what good has that done for the taxpayer?
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Anyone who takes it is prohibited for 7 years from employment in the wider public servcie/sector. It also applies in the case of re-engagement on a contract for service.

Ministerial approval is still required even after that, so that suggests to me only people with specific skills/qualifcations will be allowed back.

I don't have a problem with the public sector being off limits for employment if you got this package, it's just another factor to take into account.

Sunny - yes if I leave now I'll get 12K penison at 60. Pre 2004 workers have a min retirement age of 60 and a max of 65.

By the way I was at work today at 8am. I have a work mobile and it's on all the time. It's not often I am contacted after hours, but I did have to come into work 3 weeks ago at 9.30pm to sort something out.
 
Ancutza said:
Sorry to rain on your parade Sunny but not only would I (as a self-employed person) not hire becky but I wouldn't even bother my barney to interview her.

The reasons? Today, Friday, I'm away with one of the lads who works for me. There's no chance we'll see our families before Sunday night 10pm and we'll be at work again at 8am Monday morning. Since Friday last week we've clocked-up 2500kms in the car and this morning I was woken by one of my other employees at 7am (we're only 4 in the company) asking me for stock sheets from customers we visited yesterday so she can get orders prepared and out to the courier for Saturday morning delivery (who obviously has a similar lifestyle to us) and today I'll be visiting shops 'til 10pm (we sell into the retail industry and 10pm is when the shops in the Malls close).


We're a small tight team ranging in age from 27 to 48. We all appreciate that what has to be done has to be done or we don't eat. Tuesday next week is a day off when the 2 lads in the company will be going Pike fishing (the ladies can do as they wish although they have been known to pick up a rod too!).

Can you see any place in our business for someone who for 20 years clocked-on at 9am 'til 5pm Mon-Fri and switched their phones off for an hour at lunchtime??????????
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This post is daft. You're making sweeping generalisations against PS workers. The type of work you are invloved in IMO is the exception rather than the norm in the Private Sector. Just bacause someone works in the PS and has a pretty standard working week (say 9-5) doesn't mean that they wouldn't be able to adapt for your working conditions if they had to put bread on the table.
 
becky said:
Public sector worker with a reduced net income. Always lived within my means so less nights out, less clothes/shoes/makeup and I bring in lunches (yesterdays dinner), cook from scratch.

Wasn't one for for sun holidays but use to do a good few city breaks - went to Kilkee this year.

Was offered voluntary redundancy this week. Package of €85K now, lump sum of €30K in 20 years time and a pension of €12K when I reach 60.

Won't be accepting it like a lot of my colleagues so waiting to hear what next.
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Hi Becky,

I'm a bit surprised that your pension would only be 12k a year - would that also include the state pension? What would be your pension if you stayed on? Also, the 85k sounds nice, but you wouldn't be long going through it in 20 years!
 
12K is based on my 20 years of service and my current salary. As I'm pre 95 I have at this point no entitlement to a state pension as my employer was to pay me my pension.

If I continue to work until 60, my pension should be €24K, lump sum €110 or so, based on the current rules.
 
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