I see, from the comments made on yesterday's article about HMRC's staff survey, that the HMRC staff survey did indeed commence on Monday 13th.
However, as has been pointed, out it covers the entire civil service; ie HMRC have no choice but to run it.
What is interesting/amusing from the comments made thus far are the following:
1 It had to be delayed for 24 hours, owing to some from of IT glitch that required an overnight fix.
2 HMRC have started their survey early, because it is being dealt with "in house". What does that mean I wonder?
Any bets as to whether it will be better or worse than last year's survey, the results of which were leaked?
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I would expect it to naturally get better as the people who get fed up with the working conditions and can leave will do so. That will leave those who are unable to jump ship and those who are to scared to speak up. Those who are left will eventually give up ticking the boxes, as they will realise nothing is going to change.
ReplyDeleteYou see in some cases ignoring it does make it go away.
If this survey is worse than the last one or just the same then certain individuals, especially Leslie Strathie need to come with some serious answers.
ReplyDeleteA department taking a dip now and then is fine but HMRC is a different fish altogether.
In march 2010 a Treasury Select Committe described the situation as "dire" and "deeply troubling" and called on senior managers to put in place changes "to ameliorate the situation".
So if this hasnt happened or if it has got worse, then a far more vigorous investigation needs to launched into Senior Management at HMRC.
Leslie Strathie in her news-board message in June already acknowledged that the next survey results would would not be good. They are always "working hard" to make the situation better. I agree with the comments above. There is no belief that management will act on the results, some 70% believe that management will not act in my area. If the staff feel like this, I can not understand why more visible action has not been taken. Everything is remotely handled via the intra net, nothing has changed in the senior management team.
ReplyDeleteI can not understand why more visible action has not been taken
ReplyDeleteAn ineffective union may be part of the problem.
Everyone is being deskilled and tied up in strict procedure with no room to use your knowledge or judgment.
ReplyDeleteSince the changes that caused the low results have continued and spread into other areas of HMRC the results will only get worse.
Add to that the coming scorched earth policy resulting from the spending review and the recent press hysteria over things like the annual review and they have no chance of improving the results. Unless they make the questions so ambiguous that they confuse people.
Oh Dear oh dear....
ReplyDeleteAnother u-turn
I believe we have an installment in the famous Babs Windsor/Sid James series... "Carry On HMRC"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/8004032/HMRC-backs-down-over-interest-on-tax-overpayments.html
Giving evidence to the influential Treasury Select Committee today, Mr Hartnett said he regretted his "insensitivity" in not recognising immediately that people affected deserved an apology.
"I know how to apologise, I've had to do it before," he said. "I did not do it then and I am sorry for that."
He said he was "specifically apologising for the situation in which people find themselves".
"I think we could have done better in helping taxpayers to prepare for this," he added.
Mr Hartnett also said he had said sorry to Treasury ministers for the way he handled questions in the BBC Moneybox interview.
Read the whole thing.. somebody seems to have a sever spanking from Osborne and Co!
"An ineffective union may be part of the problem."
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the union could have done to improve moral or why they would want better results in the staff survey. That would only show the gov that what they are doing is supported.
As for the criticism of the union on this blog - The employer has been pushing through these changes for years despite opposition from the union and every time they speak out the public ignore it or side with the employer.
Read the whole thing.. somebody seems to have a sever spanking from Osborne and Co!
ReplyDeleteMP's and civil servants up to their old tricks again then!!!!!
Read the whole thing.. somebody seems to have a sever spanking from Osborne and Co!
ReplyDeleteMP's and civil servants up to their old tricks again then!!!!!
That post has made me laugh the hardest since I started reading this blog.. oh hang on... its not a joke!
I'm not sure what the union could have done to improve moral or why they would want better results in the staff survey. That would only show the gov that what they are doing is supported.
ReplyDeleteThe union was quick enough to take on the governement regarding pensions and loose in the long run. They planned action many moons ago regarding working conitions in relation to stats and made a last minute agreement with management and called of the action. And what has changed?
So I say again "An ineffective union may be part of the problem."
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the union could have done to improve moral or why they would want better results in the staff survey. That would only show the gov that what they are doing is supported.
But better results may show that things are getting better, why would the union not want things to get better?
Pass me the puke bowl....
ReplyDeleteAll the senior managers have to do is tell the people in charge of the teams in the call centers to stop bullying their team members. Things may start to improve all round then.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to my post above I meant to add the link below for the benefit of people who do understand what bullying is:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ResolvingWorkplaceDisputes/DiscriminationAtWork/DG_10026670
"But better results may show that things are getting better, why would the union not want things to get better?"
ReplyDeleteThings are not going to get better. people were happier when they spent time learning how to do the job and being able to use that knowledge to do things to help the public no matter how long it took. That system was expensive. The public are not prepared to pay for that level of service. So we have 2 weeks training and rigid procedures that must be obeyed at all times.
13:38 sounds like the people in the PCS head office I have spoken to in the past regarding the problems within HMRC, there is no will to deal with the problems so we will just moan about it all instead.
ReplyDeleteWell as a member of the public who has tried to be supportive over the years, I will now bow out and not bother again.
I dont think the whole Low Morale thing is just accidental.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to reduce your staff head count and cannot achieve it through other means like retirement etc, you can get it other ways.
Like allowing low morale and depression to flourish through out your department. Bullying, deskilling, secrecy, innuendos, isolation, over complicating and an attitude of making your staff simply feel unwelcome... people will leave.
HMRC dont really care if morale is low anyway. It probably works for them.
The number 1 priority is to get that work-forced reduced.
14:07's comments simply point back to the first comment on this then.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what people are expecting the union to do, the union is only as strong as its membership, and if members are unwilling to take action and stand up for themselves, the union can not help. I wonder if the people of critise the union, have ever thought about becoming involved and become a rep, and then see what the union does
ReplyDeleteThe union should take a lead on this because the members are scared to stand up on the own. The reps are in no better place than the members to be doing anything about this matter.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that because the same union represents the people dishing out the crap it makes it hard for the members to do anything.
as has been said any organisation is only as strong as its supporters.the union is no different.pcs fights well above its weight compared to the big four where the media is concerned,
ReplyDeletesome critics may well not be members and if they are, get involved. the only way any of these cuts will be stopped will be through opposition, the bad survey results last time showed changes can happen
This is not about the forthcoming cuts, the unions will not stop them. This is about the working conditions of HMRC employees now and in the future and the unions are not doing anything about that.
ReplyDeleteYou do not have to be in the union or even work for HMRC to be affected by the crap either.
I filled in the survey today and checked the intranet. HMRC are definitely doing the survey "in house" and earlier than other departments and agencies.
ReplyDeleteIt was much quicker than the previous two. The questions very similar to previous years (to guage progress obviously), and I would be surprised if the results were not worse this time around.
The clicher for me will not be the "staff engagent" measure but how much worse the score will be for the question about staff faith in management taking any action.
The results will be announced some time in December... Around the same time as the Directerates find out how much the cuts will impact them. So much for a Happy Christmas then!
"This is about the working conditions of HMRC employees now and in the future and the unions are not doing anything about that."
ReplyDeleteThe union asks people not to work overtime because this hides the fact there are not enough staff to do the work. This puts more pressure on those left. People then ignore this and work overtime. And then complain the union does nothing about their working conditions.
Its the same with strikes or any other action to try to change things. As has already been said the union is only as strong as its members.
Re The Union,
ReplyDeleteIn the building I worked in, around 2005/06 most peoples heads were up their arses. It could have been becuase it was Customs and Excise and this belief that the changes were not gonna affect them.
Warnings from the PCS after the merger were just ignored and I remember standing out on the Picket Line freezing while other staff (all of whom were in the Union)! came out on their smoke breaks to look at us as if we were some unusual speices.
Im sure the above said people are now crying their eyes out on the Phone to PCS
So I agree with the above comments in that the Union is only as strong as its members.
Then maybe it is time to put up or shut up.
ReplyDeleteWe have just completed our survey and I am sure from talking to people that the results will be as bad as last time and every other time we have completed it.
ReplyDeleteThe latest policy seems to be to criticise so called negativity if you ask any questions and try to get answers.This of course may appear to improve morale in that people will be less open in their feelings but hardly does anything for actual improvement of it.