The Management-Issues Workplace Blog

The Management-Issues Workplace Blog: "Britain's government departments are badly managed, unable to cope with change, and riddled with bullies and poor performers.

This depressing picture of life at the heart of government has emerged from surveys of some 150,000 employees working in 21 different departments.

Overall, barely more than a quarter (27 per cent) of government staff say poor performance is dealt with effectively and only a third believe that their department as a whole is well managed.

A similarly low proportion – 35 per cent - have confidence in the senior managers within their department, only a quarter think change is well managed and only half (52 per cent) say they are satisfied with the recognition they get for doing a good job.

One in 10 also said they have experienced bullying over past year

In a further embarrassment to the Government, the survey claims that Whitehall is unable to cope with radical change or tackle underperformance by civil servants.

Civil servants in key departments, including health and education, have been lining up to criticise senior figures across government, labelling them ineffective and weak.

It portrays a group of workers largely content with their job but who believe that they are underpaid, poorly led and unresponsive to the challenges of public sector reform.

The research also suggests that as many as a quarter of employees in some departments claimed they are seriously considering quitting"

Pete's Points:

This is interesting information especially for those who are in the public service in Australia, since our APS is modelled on the British one - I wonder what a survey like this would uncover here in Australia?