Public sector employees are currently so disillusioned that just over half of those looking for work would be prepared to sacrifice a better pension for perceived higher job security in the private sector.
These are the findings of an online poll among 1,380 public and private sector employees and 955 employers undertaken by recruitment firm Hays at the end of last year.
The survey revealed that three out of five personnel believed that the public sector was a "worse place to work" than before the recession compared with only two out of five private sector staff.
Andy Robling, Hays’ public services director, said: "The news that over half of workers in the public sector, who often choose work there to make a positive difference to society, would consider trading in their pension for a career in the private sector underlines how keen they are to move. Whilst conditions in the private sector are challenging too, it is clearly one step ahead of the public sector in terms of attracting and motivating talent."
As a result, it was imperative that the public sector take steps to address poor staff morale and perceptions that some workers had about what the two sectors offered in terms of career progression and job security, he added.
But just over three quarters of public sector employers also acknowledged that working there was more stressful now than a year ago, with an unsurprising 84% expressing concern that they would struggle to keep skilled staff. Some 46% feared that they would be unable to attract the required expertise over the next 12 months, while a huge four out of five reckoned that the situation would have an impact on their ability to provide public services.
Employers in both sectors expected working conditions to be difficult over the year ahead, however, with 45% in the public sector and 46% in the private describing people as feeling ‘pressured’. Public sector employers laid the blame at the Coalition Government’s door, while their private sector counterparts blamed the global economy.
But early data from both sectors indicated a lack of career progression opportunities was causing problems for staff across the board.
