Public Sector pay rise 2023

[squerble]

Not these days, no. It's just a regular private pension you'd get anywhere (except the absolute worst employers).

A lot of the amazing benefits people think we have were last seen in the 80s or whatever. Final salary pension, etc.

What we have now is the same as private sector people have. Or worse.

None of which are unique, or more than you'd have in the private sector.

Colleagues of ours have left and gone to private sector employers, added 70% to their salary, and now have better pension and benefits.

The idea that public sector benefits are some super duper advantage is for the birds.

I'm public sector and have a "final salary" pension, although it's the CARE (career average, revalued earnings) pension. It's still a defined benefit pension though, and it's still a very generous 1/49th accrual rate - I've seen it dubbed as "silver-plated" instead of gold-plated like the traditional final salary pensions were. I'll get a strong guaranteed income for life which rises each year with inflation, as well as my state pension. I get 35 days leave, plus bank holidays, plus an enforced closure at Christmas which doesn't come out of my allowance. I have a very good work/life balance.

I can't imagine how much of a private sector salary I'd have to sacrifice into a defined contribution pension in order to try and match what I get now - I imagine the resulting net takehome would be very close to what I get now.

 

[fredwi]

I'm public sector and have a "final salary" pension, although it's the CARE (career average, revalued earnings) pension. It's still a defined benefit pension though, and it's still a very generous 1/49th accrual rate - I've seen it dubbed as "silver-plated" instead of gold-plated like the traditional final salary pensions were. I'll get a strong guaranteed income for life which rises each year with inflation, as well as my state pension. I get 35 days leave, plus bank holidays, plus an enforced closure at Christmas which doesn't come out of my allowance. I have a very good work/life balance.

I can't imagine how much of a private sector salary I'd have to sacrifice into a defined contribution pension in order to try and match what I get now - I imagine the resulting net takehome would be very close to what I get now.

Same as you we pay in 6.5 percent the employer pays around double

I only get 30 days plus bank holidays and flexi time so probably 10 or so days a year on that

 

[helpimcrap]

Pay rise for public sector workers? Hmmm.
Still waiting lol.

 

[Begbie]

How long will you have done when you leave?

If all goes well I'll be leaving before December, so just shy of 15 years.

So you are on the navy ski team?

Edit my friend was on that, it was 1month skiing abroad per year which was double pay, pretty good deal lol

No, but there's always a good amount of AT available regardless of being on any teams or anything. Still a good deal, I went to Germany last year, food, accommodation, flights, ski instruction all arranged for us.

 

[Hedge]

If all goes well I'll be leaving before December, so just shy of 15 years.




No, but there's always a good amount of AT available regardless of being on any teams or anything. Still a good deal, I went to Germany last month, food, accommodation, flights, ski instruction all arranged for us.

Similar to me. I left at 14yrs and a bit years. The losing of full pension stings a bit but I'll survive!

 

[Begbie]

Similar to me. I left at 14yrs and a bit years. The losing of full pension stings a bit but I'll survive!

Yeah it does sting, but if you manage higher wages outside it should outweigh that pension. It's still a decent pension even at 14~ years.

 

[Richie]

So we can agree that comparing public sector pay Vs private sector pay is wrong and it should be the full package (holidays, pensions) as a whole.

From the posts above, I would suggest public sector packages are extremely good.

 

[ivrytwr3]

They are, Non-contributory, Government backed etc. However, the MOD bang on about the extra stuff, gym, medical etc, but I think that's outdated. You can get similar from the private sector and more, company car, phone etc.

MOD also pay crap wages and so still need to up their game. Head of UK IT Security - £60k, lol.

 

[EdGey]

Similar to me. I left at 14yrs and a bit years. The losing of full pension stings a bit but I'll survive!

I'm planning on leaving at 12 years. I'm nearly there so might as well stick it out for ressetlement.

No pension for me until I'm practically dead - wooo

That said - I'm seeing an 8.5% rise. Brings me slightly closer to what I was on before I transfered to the RAF.

 

[Hedge]

I'm planning on leaving at 12 years. I'm nearly there so might as well stick it out for ressetlement.

No pension for me until I'm practically dead - wooo

That said - I'm seeing an 8.5% rise. Brings me slightly closer to what I was on before I transfered to the RAF.

It's a decent rise and to be honest for the work I used to do think the latest pay is decent. I increased my salary in leaving but pension contributions and the new raf pay close the gap in take home.

I think quality of life in the raf is ultimately down to where you are based. If you get somewhere you're happy then there isn't much reason to leave.

My career was pretty cushy to be fair. If you are miserable in one post then just make moves to get elsewhere. It's not that difficult in my experience.

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

So we can agree that comparing public sector pay Vs private sector pay is wrong and it should be the full package (holidays, pensions) as a whole.

From the posts above, I would suggest public sector packages are extremely good.

Public Sector workers do not get annual bonus payments, which suggests Private Sector packages are extremely good.

 

[Richie]

Public Sector workers do not get annual bonus payments, which suggests Private Sector packages are extremely good.

You've interpreted my post to saying that private sector pay is not good compared to public sector which is completely not what I said. At no point did I infer private sector was poor.

Possibly, as an ex-public sector worker yourself, you have misunderstood my post as some form of attack on public sector pay so let me try again.

The crux of many arguments about Public Sector pay uses the example of similar Private Sector jobs being paid more and doesn't take account the other very good benefits that the Public Sector get like much better pensions (non-contributory or very high employer contributions), better annual leave entitlement etc.


Essentially - when comparing Private and Public Sector remuneration, you should compare the main pay and benefits and not just the pay hitting the bank account. Main pay and benefits being Wage (including bonuses), pensions and annual leave.

 

[A2Z]

A lot of multi academy trusts will be members of the LGPS (of which most councils still are members also, hence the name) which is still pretty amazing at 1/49th accrual rate and inflation linking and lots of other benefits. Contributions depend on salary but I'm paying 6.8% for example.

That's exactly what the government want to change our 'gold plated' final salary pension to - LGPS. Only positive thing is it includes overtime in its calculation, the rest is all a step down. No thanks to increased contributions for a decreased pension.

Fortunately our planned strike action a few weeks ago made the company delay the potential pension changes for a couple of years. Hopefully by then Labour is in, and they stop all this.

 

[hurfdurf]

That's exactly what the government want to change our 'gold plated' final salary pension to - LGPS. Only positive thing is it includes overtime in its calculation, the rest is all a step down. No thanks to increased contributions for a decreased pension.

Fortunately our planned strike action a few weeks ago made the company delay the potential pension changes for a couple of years. Hopefully by then Labour is in, and they stop all this.

Labour are just as keen, they have been taken over by Tories. Red and Blue are now the same colour.

 

[Semple]

Not these days, no. It's just a regular private pension you'd get anywhere (except the absolute worst employers).

A lot of the amazing benefits people think we have were last seen in the 80s or whatever. Final salary pension, etc.

What we have now is the same as private sector people have. Or worse.

None of which are unique, or more than you'd have in the private sector.

Colleagues of ours have left and gone to private sector employers, added 70% to their salary, and now have better pension and benefits.

The idea that public sector benefits are some super duper advantage is for the birds.

I'd say you're being too generic about the public sector. Pensions are still a lot better in the NHS and Teaching against comparative private sector roles - I'd imagine fire and police are quite reasonable too. So very much dependent on what you do in the public sector.

Teachers also get 14-16 weeks off a year.

 

[danlightbulb]

Public Sector workers do not get annual bonus payments, which suggests Private Sector packages are extremely good.

Private sector here, no annual bonus, no company car, 6% matched DC pension.

 

[delta0]

MOD also pay crap wages and so still need to up their game. Head of UK IT Security - £60k, lol.

I think they would only be looking for someone that has earned enough elsewhere and wanted to take things easy for a while for that.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

The private - public gap really gets exposed in more skilled/traditional professional roles. More general roles the gap is much closer.

When you look at very senior roles the pay is poor. Likewise the same applies with things like legal roles, IT infrastructure, developers, accountants and tax roles are all very poor.

Arguably for the above kinds of roles you want to be paying to attract the best as they have a huge impact on the organisation.

 

[Raumarik]

Public Sector workers do not get annual bonus payments, which suggests Private Sector packages are extremely good.

One the whole no, but some public sector organisations do offer them e.g. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/243803/Ofcoms-2022-employee-pay-review.pdf

Ofcom aren't the only one.

 

[delta0]

Public Sector workers do not get annual bonus payments, which suggests Private Sector packages are extremely good.

Bonuses aren’t that common across private sector either.

The private - public gap really gets exposed in more skilled/traditional professional roles. More general roles the gap is much closer.

When you look at very senior roles the pay is poor. Likewise the same applies with things like legal roles, IT infrastructure, developers, accountants and tax roles are all very poor.

Arguably for the above kinds of roles you want to be paying to attract the best as they have a huge impact on the organisation.

I don’t think public sector can or should be trying to compete with private sector. It would drive up costs a lot. Public sector has other perks that would attract people. Better pension, more holiday, less stress and work life balance (outside frontline NHS of course).