Monday 4 November 2013

HMRC Staff Quit In Large Numbers

The FT reports that HMRC staff are quitting in their highest numbers for four years.

A total of 1,697 staff left in 2012-13, the largest figure since 2008-09.

HMRC appear to be relaxed about this an HMRC spokesman said:
This has not affected performance – the most accurate measure of the tax gap shows it is going down, last year’s yield was our biggest ever, and we carried out over 700 prosecutions.

The popularity of our online services has enabled us to move staff away from the mass processing work of the past into more specialised and skilled work of tackling evasion and avoidance."
Is it not those with many years of experience etc that are the ones who are leaving?

Tax does have to be taxing.

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15 comments:

  1. They couldn't care less what amount of people left. The more that leave the better becuase they only thing they care about is reaching the required staff reduction figure set out when both departments were merged.
    The sooner you get out of there the better, becuase having HMRC on your C/V is'nt exactly conducive to your future job prospects.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed, I consider HMRC on my CV to be a hinderence.
      Small employers ignore me, large ones are interested but HMRC taints your name and employment chances and I've overheard interviewers talking about "well they don't do much at HMRC do they"
      No, every second of the day logged on an aspect phone turret, please sir can I go for a wee wee or do I have to use the bucket under the desk again.
      The conflict is offline staff are not monitored in a strict manner like those on phones, the result is a massive difference in productivity and all potential employers think is "HMRC - lazy"

      Delete
  2. According to numbers supplied by HMRC to Parliament approx. 10% of those annual figures may well have taken their employer, HMRC, to Employment Tribunal.
    (Wriiten replies,10th October 2013 ref. 170044, Column 348W).
    Anyone care to estimate how much this would cost annually?
    Is there something going on in there they aren't telling us about?
    As Yoda would say "Smoke, fire, no without!"

    ReplyDelete
  3. As usual, the deeper you dig the worse the smell.

    WRT prosecution figures, an HMIC report recently criticised them for hitting softer crimes in order to achieve "targets".

    WRT to figures for staff leaving, some will have left for other employment (whether thats poacher turned gatekeeper loke Hartnett or simply for employment with better conditions) the adjustment would increase the proportion of ET cases somewhat.

    Others, not included, will have retired early with or without enhancement simply to be out of there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. An ageing work force with many retiring. An attendance policy that weeds out malingerers. A performance mgt system... Surprised the numbers that low

    ReplyDelete
  5. The arse licks and the Numpties will be the only ones left. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anyone who can, is getting out. The sheer lack of leadership, contempt for the workforce and blatant target rigging has sapped the will of even the most dedicated and experienced officers. And as mentioned above, the Department are actually glad they're going.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Customers, sorry, Taxpayers, do not have a clue as to how low this department has managed to fall. It is run by a dreadful mix of assorted bullies and inefficient micro-management freaks that wouldn't recognise innovation and good decision making if it was in 2 foot high letters. Statistics are manipulated to suit the requirement with non-realistic targets being easily exceeded. Time and again management failings have been exposed in the media and staff survey results but to no avail. Gauke should be calling this lot to account and ensuring that the dead wood is ruthlessly cleared.
    The PAC seems to bite hard but then lets go whenever getting close to the truth, as for the PCS Union, looks like as if its been muzzled, nah, couldn't be could it?
    (Wiki' describes lapdogs..."as docile companion animals with no working function or an institution that can be very easily controlled...").

    ReplyDelete
  8. I worked there, I was one of only 3 alleged advisors out of a building of some 700 staff that actually hit 100% quality on being factually correct and actually doing my job properly.
    Sadly too many advisors are "scared" to tell the customers bad news and bullshat their way through the call, send a scary letter which could have been dealt with by the phone call, causing the customer to phone back in an increased state of agitation making genuinely decent staff seem incompetent.
    I was "laid off" due to time taken off, which was considerably less than some of the brown tongues and I did a much better job, but rather than support its better staff which may have underlying health issues they keep the crap ones that turn up and do half a job.
    When I was there I was constantly pressuring directors via the crap hotseat telling them how this is failing and that is failing and what they need to do to fix or avoid situations happening.
    They acknowledge and do nothing.

    The old tax credits advert - "your payments may stop if you dont renew on time"
    WRONG - your payments WILL stop if you don't renew on time.

    I was told by Stephen Lamey that my statement payments WILL stop is wrong as some cases have longer deadlines, yes 1-2% of all claimants, so 98% will stop if they do not respond.

    He said it sounded to aggressively worded, low and behold with 7 days the TV adverts are reworded to "your payments WILL stop" and I do believe he got the credit.

    In the end I gave up suggesting how to improve things and believe me some ideas would have reduced workload/complaints considerably but it meant changing something, oh no, please don't change anything, especially if it makes things better.
    Also my tax records are STILL at PD1 despite not working there for 2 whole years now, another case of incompetence and an inability to correctly maintain personal information within the correct offices.
    Scoff chortle fnar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *** 100% quality over a 12 month period, not a one off! *** I knew I missed something off the original post!
      Frightening that only 3 out of several hundred people can CONSISTENTLY do the correct job.

      Delete
    2. You know as well as I do that the 'quality' scores are an absolute load of bollocks, you can give the customer the correct advice on a call but if you miss out an 'ask' or 'tell' then you 'fail' the call. I have seen people fail calls for using the word estimate instead of approximate, the 'customer' couldn't care less which words you use as long as they get what they want.

      Delete
  9. Ken,
    You appear not to be picking up on various threads that have generated responses, yet you persist in posting dead donkeys instead. This is perplexing as some of the recent threads are disturbing if true.

    The outside omage of HMRC is well covered here and within the media and other associated sites with knowledge of HMRC workface failings. It is the inside that requires exposure for what goes on behind the scenes, safe from the eyes of the public and ignored by the Politicians.

    It is obvious that more people are prepared to come forward, especially those who thankfully no longer work for HMRC. Good magaers have left in droves or been demoralised and become silent for fear of losing money and/or prospects.

    If the true underlying figures and costings of management ineptitude, bullying and wastage came to light the taxpayers would be disgusted and demanding action.

    The recent postings related to events concerning llansihen tax centre management give an indication how bad things have become. Will there be more tragedies before something substantive is done?

    Perhaps a posting encouraging people to state their experiences is called for?

    ReplyDelete
  10. "Management ineptitude, bullying and wastage" is not the half of it. The department is corrupt and at the very highest levels. They have got away with all but murder over the last ten or fifteen years - and if you count ex-members of staff who have been bullied to an early grave they may even be guilty of that.
    The department is a disgrace - but the fact is that Gauke and co do not want to know. And I think one of the major reasons is that they do not want tax evasion (i.e. criminal behaviour) amongst the high and mighty to be exposed. MPs have fiddled their expenses - is it likely that not a single one of them has evaded tax? Ditto for their Lord and Ladyships in the other house. Ditto for Senior Civil Servants and Captains of industry. Yet where are the prosecutions? Not a single one - though HMRCs policy is that those in a position to know better will be prosecuted.
    If all that has gone on could be exposed - I promise you would not believe it.
    Trouble is as Ken has pointed out on here - the last significant whistle-blower was himself treated like a criminal by the very "investigators" who should be sorting this out. Self-preservation of the high and mighty works so well in there. Mainly because of years of nepotism and self-promotion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting and informed response.
      Conspiracy theorists should have a field day.
      Don't forget, over 1300 staff managed to get HMRC into an Employment Tribunal over the last 6 years - (something wrong with the way they treat their staff?).
      Additionally, it is not known outside of HMRC and PCS as to how many took a Conditional Agreement.
      £££'s drain, down!
      As long as it's not theirs they do not give a ****!!

      Delete
  11. Very low participation percentage on this years staff survey shows how demoralised the workforce is on HMRC Titanic. Now doubt subststancial massaging of the results is going on before publication.

    ReplyDelete