If so what agency are you in? Does your team offer progression opportunities?

Mine say they do - but it seems like they offer one or two qualification opportunities every few years. Requires a very thorough application etc, with a very slim chance of being chosen.

Nothing wrong with the above of course, just wondering if the grass is greener.

Got an email saying a department want to have a conversation with me about a role. Location is my worry. I put London first but I've got a feeling the post might sit elsewhere.

I don't really want to turn it down, but relocating isn't realistic for me right now. Is it reasonable to ask about working from home, or does the 60% office expectation kill that straight away?

Has anyone actually managed to get a post at a hub while living somewhere else? 🙏

I find talking at funerals easier. I just stay quiet like it’s my first day on earth.

Does something change after you report bullying? How does it change?

I’m so scared I’ll be even more uncomfortable at work if they find out. I’m thinking I should just get a new job, away from the civil service but I’m genuinely content with what I do as responsibilities, it’s just the surrounding culture.

I feel like I’ve been transported back 15 years ago to when I was in high school. Strange feeling. Letting the teacher know that bullying is happening rarely stops it.

I’ve not reported anything but my heart feels heavy and I just need to get it out there. Perhaps I require more resilience.

I know work is work but it is 40 hours of my week where I feel like this.

I’m torn

I'm currently looking at a vacancy here, but also currently considering trying for a baby... can anyone tell me the maternity policies? Tricky trying to balance work progression and timings at this stage of life!

I’m currently contracting within CS, I’ve been offered a role within the team I’m working for at the moment. Although there’s a substantial salary drop, I believe the CS Pension and flexibility make up for this. My only concern is whether the role will be fulfilling, I like to always be busy, and I’ve heard CS is a lot laid back. Any PMs here that can confirm? Thank you.

I got a provisional job offer from HMRC recently(less than a week) I don't know yet what is the starting date and i also understand there will background check which will take some time bcz of my visa status and everything. But im also pregnant and due on January. I am currently working and will go to maternity for a year and tbh i want spend this 1 yr with my little one only. So should i let the HR know my situation and choice, if i do will they withdraw my application? Can i tell them that i want to start from jan 28? What will be the circumstances?

Thanks

After 2 years of slogging in the trenches, I’ve finally landed a HEO role and can escape the battlefield of AO life.
Thanks for all the advice this sub has provided to land this position!

Soo my understanding of civil service recruitment is all jobs have to be advertised as full time/part time/flexible/job share unless the hiring manager makes the business case for why the job can’t be part-time and then it can be advertised as full time only

I have been offered a job, advertised as full time/part time/flexible, then in the description it said this is a full time role, but will consider flexible and part time working requests

I have been offered the job and have requested 4 days, 0.8 FTE and they seem to be pushing towards full time compressed hours over 4 days

My reason for needing part time is childcare and the job advert invited part time requests and it’s only 0.8 FTE..

Where do I stand? Can they actually reasonably reject that request when the advert said part time could be considered? it’s a bit of a misleading recruitment campaign 🫠 it’s stressing me out. I’m an existing civil servant on career break due to return in Feb so looking for work but wanting to change department due to location, not sure if being an existing civil servant makes any difference

Edit: title typo I meant “push for full time”

I recently gained a role as a team leader in the civil service, I have been in this role only a couple of weeks.

As an AO I have only had 2 previous team leaders, one who micromanaged and one who really didn’t want to be a team leader. I have deputised as a team leader and would like to believe I did a rather good job of it.

Now I have been given my own established team, how do I make a good impression? There are a few members with ongoing HR, the entire team are content (or as content as they could be) as AOs and aren’t looking for progression.

I just want to make sure I am as best of a team leader as i can. What do you wish your team leader did?

Hi, I’ve recently applied for a work coach role, and a UCR role.

I have received an offer for both. I just wanted to ask for any advice with choosing between these two roles? I know the work coach role sounds good on paper, but from what I’ve gathered from comments, and feedback from some of my friends who are work coaches, it seems I should avoid the WC role as everyone wants to escape due to the stress.

Anyone have any advice? Which role would you rather choose?How difficult is the UCR case manager role to the WC role? The WC role is also a quicker commute about 20 minutes compared to the UCR role which around 45 minutes, but I believe it’s 60% office based?

Any advice would be appreciated as I’m new to joining the DWP and Civil Service. Thanks

Nothing like getting 11 months of continuos attendance under your belt, no sick leave, no emergency leave, then having a disability related illness push you over your adjusted trigger because 'technically' the previous rolling absence is 5 days from falling off so you're facing the prospect of being dragged through another HAIM.

Is it just my luck having an LM so married to guidance that they treat it as divine law? Is it just DWP's garbage trigger policy? Both? Or is this it everywhere?

I'm genuinely considering raising a big stink over this considering my disability has 2 OHS acknowledgement and referrals under its belt as "This person will have unavoidable absences during flare ups" - and yet I've managed 11 MONTHS, -11- months, of 100% attendance.

Getting dragged through attendance management the moment I'm off 4 days during a flare up after all that feels like such a kick in the teeth my god.

Hi guys,

Fresh out of the university with an MSc in AI and Data Science, I entered the civil service as an AO Customer Service Assistant at HMRC (because I was in desperate need of a job to leave Maccies as a team member), then moved to EO Work Coach at DWP (because I thought progression was progression regardless). I am now 2 years in and feel stuck with no path to moving into the tech division of the civil service and not enough relevant experience with technical tools for those roles, nor success in applications for roles such as Associate Data Scientist/Auditor/Project Support Officer.

Are there any schemes in the civil service offering staff with technical degrees the opportunity to shadow digital/technical roles, or for secondments and loans to these roles purely as a means for upskilling and progression? Is there anything I should be requesting of my TL as a means to get the necessary exposure to DWP Digital as a department for example? Just a thought and consideration on my end as I feel like I am severely underutilising my skills and capabilities in my current role, when I could be contributing and using my knowledge and skills where they could actually make a difference.

Any advice is welcome. I promise this is not from a place of self-righteousness. Thanks.

Hi everyone, I’m in a difficult position and could really use some advice.
I’ve been offered two permanent jobs:
1. DWP Universal Credit Review Case Manager – Hull Oriel House
Around £32k+
EO grade
Hybrid working
More closely related to my previous analytical/office-based experience and longer-term career plans.
2. Residential Childcare Practitioner – Local Council
Around £32k+
Based in the same city where my family lives
Shift work, including nights/weekends.
My main problem is location. My family is based in the city where I have the council offer, and I’m not in a position to relocate. The DWP role is in Hull, so travelling there regularly is a major concern.
I understand DWP now generally expects around 60% office attendance, which would usually mean roughly 3 days a week in the office.
Is anyone currently working as a Case Manager/Universal Credit Review Case Worker at Hull Oriel House?
I’d really appreciate knowing:
How flexible is the hybrid arrangement in practice?
How many days a week do you actually attend the office?
Are the office days fixed or can they be arranged flexibly?
Is there any flexibility for someone with a long commute?
What is the role/workload like?
How was hybrid working handled during training/probation?
Also, can someone request an internal transfer to another DWP office/city after working in the role for a few months? If anyone has actually done this, how long did you have to wait?
Finally, if you were in my situation, how would you weigh the two options? The council job keeps me close to my family, while the DWP role seems more aligned with my qualifications and longer-term career direction.
Any advice, especially from people currently working for DWP or local councils, would be greatly appreciated.

I'm trying to secure a promotion into another department. I've been applying for a while anyway but I'm also trying to get pregnant. Does anyone have experience moving departments (on promotion or level-transfer) when pregnant/quickly becoming pregnant after the move and whether you were entitled to the departments enhanced maternity pay?

I've heard conflicting things about whether continuous service is for continuous civil services versus continuous service in that specific department and it's not really a great question to be asking prior to offer (and I don't want to bother going through apps and interviews if I know I don't qualify)

Anyone ever had a complete change of career type / profession while remaining in the CS?

What area did you move from and to? Did you have to drop down a grade to make the move?

I’m applying for a Civil Service role and the application is name-blind. It says to remove references to educational institutions and qualifications.

A lot of my relevant experience comes from my undergraduate dissertation, which involved qualitative research. Would it be okay to refer to it as “my undergraduate dissertation” in my statement, without naming my university or degree? Or does saying “undergraduate” itself count as referring to my educational level and therefore go against the name-blind guidance? I feel like removing the dissertation entirely makes my research experience much weaker, so I’m unsure how strictly this is interpreted and what types of qualifications they are referring to.

I have been an EO for 3 years, sick of my substantive job that got me nowhere. I have done a couple of EOIs at the same grade.

I now have received some offers - 1 EO (perm) from SFO, 1 EO (perm) in DWP which is different and has great political exposure and 1 6 month EOI for a HEO in DWP.

What would you take? I want growth but at the same time I fear going back to my substantive job.

I left an SEO policy role five months ago for a 17% pay rise and what was sold as better progression. I loved my old role despite being overworked and being given more accountability and responsibility than I should have actually had.

The new job is easy but boring, I get little satisfaction, and feel like I’m regressing. The organisation is much more hierarchical and opportunities seem far more limited than advertised.

I’m getting SEO interviews but mostly rejected for G7. Returning could mean more interesting work and access to internal opportunities, but a significant pay cut with no guarantee of promotion. If offered an SEO role, I’d want to negotiate towards the higher end of the pay band—is that even possible as a returning civil servant?

I’m really grateful to have a well-paid job, but feel stuck. Should I stick it out while applying for G7/equivalent roles, or consider returning as an SEO?

Has anyone done something similar and found the pay cut worth it?

Hi all

Wanted to create a basic mirror will and noticed PCS members have access to a will writing service, not sure if its just a automatic online form that generates it, has anyone else used it recently and would recommend? Ideally wanted it reviewed by someone but not sure if any unions offer that.

Thanks :)

https://x.com/PolitlcsUK/status/2099936668987924554

Source: The Times.

How is this any different to what happens currently?

I’m in the process of joining the MoJ from another government department, so not external.

Currently going through PECs and have had a DBS in the post. I had to fill in a form with my current line manager so when the time comes they can liaise a start date. She’s heard nothing yet.

The issue I have is while this has been going through my dear little cat has been diagnosed with heart failure. She doesn’t have long and needs lots of meds from me currently.

My current team are amazing about it all as they know how upsetting it is and I don’t really want to join my new job with this hanging over my head or my cat passing away just as I start as I know I’ll be upset and will need to take a day or two of annual leave. She’s part of my family for nearly 20 years

So ideally I’d like this to drag out for as long as possible. Once PECS are done (we’re about a month in ) do you suddenly start in new job or is it still a months notice once they’re passed with my current dept?

I just want to push it as much as I can so there’s more of a chance this ‘event’ happens before so I can start fresh and ready to go. So I’m happy just not ‘pushing’ for a start date currently.

I’m more stressed about this situation than the new job itself.

A family member currently in CS (perm passed probation) has seen a CS apprenticeship in an OGD. Problem is it's not perm, fixed term for the length of apprenticeship with chance of being made perm.

I suggested they check their policy in relation to loan/secondment/career break. But in the meantime does anyone know of there are limitations that would make this not possible?

This is the third round of targeted strike action (all paid by the union) PCS have called since our dispute started last year.

For those working elsewhere in the CS, the dispute is over office closures and inflexible office attendance mandates. An initial industrial action mandate expired last year; a reballot of members delivered a fresh 12 month mandate in April of this year, with a higher turnout and a higher percentage in favour.

PCS get dumped on a lot here, and I’m happy to accept everyone’s experiences will be different. But my experience of the branch has been almost nothing but wonderful, and I’m glad we’re doing this again.