My thanks to a loyal reader who posted the following comment yesterday, that summaries the state of HMRC in a nutshell:
"In my Mapeley run HMRC office the heating is broken and is apparently not likely to be fixed this winter. The gents toilets have also overflowed onto the carpet in the corridor and the staff are treated each morning to the smell of stale urine.Working heating and toilets are surely the very least that any company should provide its staff!
This is what you can routinely expect as your working conditions in this department. I personally would like to rub the faces of all those who agreed and promoted this contract into that piss soaked carpet."
Tax does have to be taxing.
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I totally agree with Ken about working conditions but observe that HMRC are not just 'any' employer. They appear above the rules. They treat staff as described above (and much, much, much worse - you really couldn't make it up & would be horrified) while preaching to the decent majority about diversity, respect, inclusion & social mobility.
ReplyDeleteAnd they wonder why they struggle to recruit and retain the very best talent. The estate problem solution dubbed The Future Strategy will NEVER improve this out of control department until they can behave decently and get the bread & butter issues right. Its been said before but they are a total disgrace.
Anyone know what's happening to those at HMRC responsible for the unlawful disclosure of information to The Times newspaper? I thought unlawful disclosure was a criminal offence.
DeleteWhy is it so hard for the Tax Office to understand the basic legal duty of confidentiality? Having been on the receiving end of Revenue & Customs' petty officialdom as a taxpayer having done nothing wrong, its interesting that they seem above the law.
DeleteRe the above 20/10 20:12. I am sure HMRC DO understand the basic legal duty of confidentiality. It seems more a case that they'll break the rules if they want, if it suits them i.e. they couldn't give two hoots, as they're supremely confident there'll be no consequences for them. Totally lawless. And they wonder why they're not trusted?
DeleteThe owner of a large sports retailer was brought before a Parliamentary Committee to answer questions about alleged working practices. There was an accompanying hue and cry from the left wing establishment. Should the CEO of HMRC not be similarly accountable from HMRC's working practices? The public sector should provide the same high standards as is expected from the private sector.
ReplyDeleteI note there is not a lot of fuss about HMRC's low standards, not even from the useless commie Corbyn supporting union who purport to support many of the staff.
My experience is that PCS Union take your cash and then, in a time of need, when one needs support & protection from HMRC they go running for the hills. I gave evidence of gross misconduct by an HMRC manager to PCS Union, they simply did not want to know. Don't waste your money with PCS - they have little or no interest in standing up for members human rights etc. They seem more like a left wing political campaign group than a trade union to be honest.
DeletePCS are timid at best - they need to learn that you always stand up to bullies. I wonder whether the union's lack of action on this topic, beyond pathetic warm words, has almost encouraged the HMRC bullying culture. They seem like they're in it together
DeletePCS are very enthusiastic when it comes to trying to galvanize politicized support at a National level and using our subs to do so but at the coalface there are good,honest workers being harassed by the PMR process who just want to hold on to their jobs.
DeleteToo many PCS reps are too close for comfort with the 'other side', more so than with the humble AA and AO grades.....Ahh of course, they need to have good relationships with HO's and SO's as it will strengthen their bargaining positions in hearings,disputes, appeals ect (WALOFS).
Truth is some of these characters would sell you down the Swanee for their own gain. Don't get me wrong though, there are committed reps ( well,I've heard of one or two who are) and we should not tar them all with the same brush; not just yet anyway.
PCS union lied to me to help the other side, that's how they roll. PCS union HQ also gave me the 'they need good working relationships with management' line when I confronted them with evidence that they were helping the other side - er yes PCS do need good relationships but that's not an excuse to lie and breach confidences. I am certain there are some good reps but too many are in it for personal gain, they are hypocritical and are the type who would rather do 'nice' things like attend Jeremy Corbyn rallies than actually have to do anything such as find the courage to stand up against untouchable bullies' law breaking gross misconduct and protect members jobs.
DeleteIf Hmrc workers contend with a useless union as above comments then its no surprise that they have such appalling working conditions. Staff should refuse to put up with those conditions and speak out if its safe to do such a thing?
DeleteI think the fact PCS support the far left Jeremy Corbyn, who will NEVER win a general election (and will lose dozens of seats and further ruin the Labour Party in the process, thus denying the public a decent alternative) demonstrates they have little understanding of the pragmatic real world and disqualifies them from being taken seriously. Message to PCS members: save yourself a few quid and leave the thing - you can stand up for yourself better than they can for you.
DeleteThe latest PCS magazine arrived through my letterbox today. The headline announced they are embarking on a new anti-racism campaign in light of the Brexit vote and a reported linked increase in racist crimes. Not sure if I'm missing anything but I would rather have the Police tackling such incidents rather than PCS spending my subs on it. And this after their zealous willingness a few months back to facilitate donations to a camp full with louts violently trying to unlawfully enter this country from the safe, democratic nation of France.
DeletePCS union are a disgrace and part of the problem at HMRC. Their left wing ideology seems to stand in the way of treating everyone and every personal case in a fair and equal manner. And while it is the duty of every decent person to speak out against any repugnant hateful behaviour in society and for the Police to tackle it, I would like to equally see PCS stand up against repugnant hateful behaviour endorsed by HMRC management which ruins careers and lives and which undermines an effective service to the taxpaying public. Surely that is the primary duty of a trade union but PCS appear at best reluctant and at worst incapable and/or unwilling to do their job. Any other business taking money and not providing the advertised service to their 'customers' (members) might be deemed to be taking money by false representation. Its union like PCS which will lead to calls for the Government to further tighten up the trade union laws.
DeleteHMRC are probably breaking the law (wouldn't be the first time, after all). Report them to the HSE.
ReplyDeleteDon't bother wasting your time. They have no respect for what they regard as silly little things like the law.
DeleteBullying, away days for senior managers at premier league football clubs, secret deals for football players, wasteful spending on estate, failing to answer phone calls, shocking 'customer' service, more thug like bullying and now this about HMRC working conditions. It really is time for someone to investigate Hmrc and get to the bottom of whats going on in the place.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that yes HMRC and their management are a bunch of bullies. Their behaviour fails to pass any decency test, but is it not time that the mainstream media shone a light on what goes on within HMRC?
DeleteWith the recent revelation of Dave Hartnett's alleged law breaking amongst many other issues, it seems the place is totally mismanaged and in a state of disorder. We, the paying public, are entitled to expect better from our Civil Service. Whatever happened to the Civil Service Code? If the 'powers that be' are failing to act over the numerous serious issues, then its time for the media to bring the issues into the public domain to allow a little scrutiny.
In the above story about an HMRC employee's office conditions (conditions which sound like they would have been outlawed a very long time ago) did anyone else notice the apparent unhealthy tension between the average worker and their HMRC management? How can HMRC ever expect to thrive with their 'Future Strategy' when morale and working relationships are in such a shocking state. Worrying.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if hmrc promoted the person who agreed the aforementioned contract. It was 15 years ago so you'll probably find them taking a large salary in the highest reaches of the hmrc senior 'leadership' team by now.
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of HMRC sites where Mapeley are keen to sell on the land for development once the HMRC lease has expired in 2020 and as a consequence they appear to be making only token efforts to rectify problems to the buildings in these loaction. Indeed, the suspicion is that they are deliberatey letting the buildings fall apart in the hope that they will be vacated early.
ReplyDeleteI don't doubt what tricks some might use to 'encourage' early vacation from any building when they have plans but I would be shocked if, in 2016, any employer, least of all HMRC, who should be a model for others, would standby and allow this to happen while handing over huge amounts of public cash in rent? HMRC have a duty of care to staff - it goes beyond any sense of human decency & dignity and is enshrined in law. It is clear those responsible should be considering their positions.
DeleteHMRC in a nutshell - one word: HYPOCRITS.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, at the end of 2020 Maperley can charge HMRC whatever rent they want to stay in the buildings. I find it incredible in this day and age that someone (and who was that?) signed a contract that gives Maperley everything and their "tenants" nothing. HMRC must have the worst procurin department in the World.
ReplyDeleteKnow only this too well in my office.
ReplyDeleteMapeley do absolutely fuck all.
That's reassuring to hear; HMRC getting great value for the taxpayer as ever. They shouldn't be let anywhere near a contract negotiation, hopeless.
DeleteOur Mapeleys Run HMRC office is well and truly knackered,too (heating buggered, toilets regularly break, air con works when it wants. A toilet door has been broken for 6 months or so, and so on).
ReplyDeleteNo-one - Mapeleys or HMRC management - gives a shit.
The management in my office don't try even slightly to hidde the fact that they are bullies anymore. They thrive on a culture of misery.
Case in point: Edward Troup's visit today was prefaced by clandestine emails between managers and a certain Grade 6, saying, no-one talk about anything "negative" and only send "positive people" along to meet him.
I'm not suggesting Troup could care less if he knew the truth but today all he got was a bunch of smiling, fawning, "Yes, Sir!" arselickers.
What a fucking joke.
I am sure the HMRC employee above 21/10 18:24 runs the risk of being bullied by certain thugs within HMRC management if they report the filthy state of their building. But its no way to run a 'business' and does not appear to be a safe place of work.
DeleteAs for the comment about only "positive people" being allowed to meet Edward Troup, that sounds totally wrong and suggests an insular culture from which their shoddy performance to the public will never improve.
Looking at HMRC, and everything you hear & read, it sounds a very controlled environment, like some kind of authoritarian communist regime where dissent is crushed in a brutal way. That might be ok for a few self-serving types in HMRC, but its not healthy, and for the majority of their staff and indeed for us taxpayers its a cause of major concern and you wonder what impact it has on their primary function to collect tax revenue. Shocking.
According to an anon HMRC employee above commenting on HMRC bullying of staff, their management "thrive on a culture of misery". Such a thuggish work place must surely impact on the, poor, (non)service standards provided to taxpayers and their accountants from this outfit. Time for Members of Parliament and the Government to order urgent change?
ReplyDeleteHMRC cover-up for thugs working in their organisation. Its not right and until they deal with the bullying problem nobody will ever believe their self-styled holier than thou image promoted thru PR stunts like dishing out plastic awards to each other, while making people's lives a miserable living hell at best.
ReplyDelete