Essential Workers?

[Hay Dude]

Interesting thread. All I’ll say is

- I have lots of experience with government employees and offices. Budgets aside, if my business was run as poorly as they are we would have gone bankrupt long ago.

- My extended family is about 50/50 private vs government employed. Based on what I learned from that experience, I encouraged all of my children to strongly consider working for the government. You won’t get rich but on the whole you’ll probably come out way ahead.

Not sure if that makes me a hypocrite but I’m sticking with it.

One of the few times I’ve ever agreed with you.
I would add it’s rare you ever lose a govt job, either. Private sector? No comparison in job security, either. The reason is simple. Those who create those jobs are using taxpayer money, not their own, so theres less care on how much gets spent.

 

[jyoutz]

One of the few times I’ve ever agreed with you.
I would add it’s rare you ever lose a govt job, either. Private sector? No comparison in job security, either. The reason is simple. Those who create those jobs are using taxpayer money, not their own, so theres less care on how much gets spent.

Government employment has always provided more long term job security than private industry, but lower salaries.

 

[Hay Dude]

Government employment has always provided more long term job security than private industry, but lower salaries.

I don’t know about the lower salaries. And then there’s govt union bennies.
Government jobs have excellent benefits and many have pensions which are extremely beneficiary to the recipient and their families. I equate them to a union job WITH job security virtually for life.

 

[jyoutz]

I don’t know about the lower salaries. And then there’s govt union bennies.
Government jobs have excellent benefits and many have pensions which are extremely beneficiary to the recipient and their families. I equate them to a union job WITH job security virtually for life.

Most federal pensions aren’t that much. For example the formula for the pension is: the average of the last three years salary times 1% times the number of years of service. Do the math. For a salary of $75k with 30 years service, the annual pension is $22,500. Of course federal employees also pay social security, so we can also collect that. Also we have the option to withhold funds to contribute to the thrift savings program (similar to a 401k). Many corporate employees do better in retirement.

 

[Jstpssng]

I would add it’s rare you ever lose a govt job, either.

I always find this viewpoint rather humorous. My first job out of college was working for the State Bureau of Public Lands. I was laid off the first 3 winters before getting on full time... that lasted 6 months before somebody with more seniority had her position terminated and I was out of work again. We had gone almost 2 years W/O a pay raise... the day that I was laid off everybody else got a retroactive pay raise.

 

[Hay Dude]

I always find this viewpoint rather humorous. My first job out of college was working for the State Bureau of Public Lands. I was laid off the first 3 winters before getting on full time... that lasted 6 months before somebody with more seniority had her position terminated and I was out of work again. We had gone almost 2 years W/O a pay raise... the day that I was laid off everybody else got a retroactive pay raise.

Well, there’s always the exception.
Laugh all you want but overall, government jobs have less layoffs than private sector.

 

[jyoutz]

Well, there’s always the exception.
Laugh all you want but overall, government jobs have less layoffs than private sector.

Yes, government employees trade off higher salaries for more job security.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yes, government employees trade off higher salaries for more job security.

And gain more back in better bennies and a pension.
Not losing your job over the course of 30 years compared to losing a private sector job 2,3,4 times is like making more money. There’s no interruption in the income stream.
How about government union protections and medical benefits? Something tells me they are better than average joe in private sector, too.

 

[PuffyC]

Businesses are not subject to the whims of ever changing politicians and can actually do long term planning without having to change course every 4 years.

Ha! That quite literally made my chuckle out loud. Big league multinationals internally re-org constantly. The running joke is that if you don’t like some policy just wait six months and the next guy or gal will change it. If we stayed on any course for even two years my eyes would pop out in surprise.

I’ll add that the idea of making more in the private sector is just as often a myth as it is reality. If you look at total compensation (salary, benefits, retirement, etc) it’s about 50/50, and if you figure in the hours worked for that compensation the government employee often comes out ahead. The ones in my family sure did. I know that’s not always the case but I’d still push my own children to work for the gov instead.

 

[jyoutz]

Ha! That quite literally made my chuckle out loud. Big league multinationals internally re-org constantly. The running joke is that if you don’t like some policy just wait six months and the next guy or gal will change it. If we stayed on any course for even two years my eyes would pop out in surprise.

I’ll add that the idea of making more in the private sector is just as often a myth as it is reality. If you look at total compensation (salary, benefits, retirement, etc) it’s about 50/50, and if you figure in the hours worked for that compensation the government employee often comes out ahead. The ones in my family sure did. I know that’s not always the case but I’d still push my own children to work for the gov instead.

Corporate changes in direction and policy are self imposed, not subject to the whims of politicians who often change from one extreme to the other. It is a fact that salaries for like jobs are higher in the private sector. Many studies have confirmed this. But I’m talking about like jobs: engineer vs engineer.