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Day off for Easter

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  • 13-04-2009 1:17am
    #1
    dny123456
    Closed Accounts Posts: 431 ✭✭


    Public service, extra day off for Easter.... why? why why?


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    #2
    couerdelion
    Registered Users Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭couerdelion


    Which extra day do they get?


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    #3
    Senna
    Registered Users Posts: 8,800 ✭✭✭Senna


    yep, they get the Tuesday as well. Heard someone in the pub taking about his wife having the day off, he called it something like her "entitled day" or something similar. I assume he was just taking the piss, but god knows with the PS.


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    #4
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,993 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    They get it as a "privilege day". Historically the reason, I believe, was that in times of yore the civil servant would, after celebrating our Good Lord's miracle on Easter Monday, have to hop into his horse'n'trap and clop up all the way to his work place from his home town.

    Naturally there's faster transport means now but the CS/PS would tight tooth-and-nail for this day that, I believe, isn't counted as part of the standard 23/24 days they get even though they don't have to take it tomorrow (especially if they have to work tomorrow). It's the sort of thing that should be axed in any reform.


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    #5
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 39,420 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Senna wrote: »
    yep, they get the Tuesday as well. Heard someone in the pub taking about his wife having the day off, he called it something like her "entitled day" or something similar. I assume he was just taking the piss, but god knows with the PS.

    we dont all get tuesday off! my office (local authority) is open as usual on tuesday, those that are off on tuesday in my place are using days holiday.


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    #6
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    Exactly. The public service do not have a day off, the civil service do. If you are going to whine about something then at least whine about the right group of people.


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    #7
    lmimmfn
    Registered Users Posts: 3,553 ✭✭✭lmimmfn


    theres feck all wrong with that, my partner works in the civil service and gets 20 days off per year and 2 privilege days( 1 easter and 1 christmas and they must be taken within a month of when theyre given ). I work in the private sector and get 25 days per year. Im all for public service bashing lol, but not on this.


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    #8
    ceret
    Registered Users Posts: 189 ✭✭ceret


    Friend of mine works in the PS/CS. He got Good Friday off, Easter Monday and Tuesday off. I, as a private sector employee only got the statutory required Easter Monday off.

    It's this sort of excessive holidays that pissed me off about the PS/CS.


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    #9
    Senna
    Registered Users Posts: 8,800 ✭✭✭Senna


    privilege days..with terms like that, its no wonder the public has the opinions it has of the PS/CS.


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    #10
    lmimmfn
    Registered Users Posts: 3,553 ✭✭✭lmimmfn


    Senna wrote: »
    privilege days..with terms like that, its no wonder the public has the opinions it has of the PS/CS.
    theres a lot more s**t that needs sorting in the public sector than 2 stupid days that make their yearly holiday count 22 days. 22 days in any job is nothing special, what about the guaranteed job security? or guaranteed generous pension? or the insane prices we pay for some individual public sector employees? or insane overtime + rates?

    Last i checked we have none of that in the private sector, about time Cowen maybe used a bit of cop on and sorted it rather than tax us to the hilt without actually trying to curb expenditure!!!!!


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    #11
    sceptre
    Registered Users Posts: 19,608 ✭✭✭✭sceptre


    lmimmfn wrote: »
    theres a lot more s**t that needs sorting in the public sector than 2 stupid days that make their yearly holiday count 22 days.
    Ignoring for a moment that some civil service employees start with more than 20, making their total larger than 22, one could reasonably argue that the 2 days accounts for ~1% of the total civil service wage bill, which adds up to quite an amount. Or ~1% of the total man-hours available, which makes it a additional saving factor in extra potential layoffs without any reduction in productivity.


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    #12
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,993 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    sceptre wrote: »
    Ignoring for a moment that some civil service employees start with more than 20, making their total larger than 22, one could reasonably argue that the 2 days accounts for ~1% of the total civil service wage bill, which adds up to quite an amount. Or ~1% of the total man-hours available, which makes it a additional saving factor in extra potential layoffs without any reduction in productivity.

    Precisely. I'd also say there's an argument for making the standard day longer - as it stands it's 6hr57 mins and from that you can deduct two 15 min breaks so it's only 6hr27mins work a day. If we bumped the day to 7hr30mins, we could make more additional savings to offset any layoffs. Anything beyond that could be time-in-lieu.


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    #13
    NewDubliner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭NewDubliner


    ixoy wrote: »
    Precisely. I'd also say there's an argument for making the standard day longer - as it stands it's 6hr57 mins and from that you can deduct two 15 min breaks so it's only 6hr27mins work a day. If we bumped the day to 7hr30mins, we could make more additional savings to offset any layoffs. Anything beyond that could be time-in-lieu.
    You're assuming that longer hours lead to additional productivity.


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    #14
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,993 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    NewDubliner wrote: »
    You're assuming that longer hours lead to additional productivity.
    I don't think it's a giant leap to think that an extra half hour could be used productively? By your logic, we could argue for everyone to work 5 hours a day on the basis anything outside of that is unproductive.

    Even if people worked only half as well for that extra half hour, that's still 15mins per person of extra work spread across. That's still a gain unless you believe they'd be thumb twiddling, which is feeding into a negative stereotype that neither of us believe is true.


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    #15
    kippy
    Registered Users Posts: 18,599 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    It really is amazing how this stuff is right in the middle of the radar now yet has been in existence for years. Surely these things should have been done away with years ago?
    I really cant see how PS/CS and their unions would give away these two days after the cuts they've had so far and the cuts they are going to be taking in the next few budgets.

    As mentioned there are far more wastages and places money can be saved than with this particular "perk".


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    #16
    NewDubliner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭NewDubliner


    ixoy wrote: »
    I don't think it's a giant leap to think that an extra half hour could be used productively? By your logic, we could argue for everyone to work 5 hours a day on the basis anything outside of that is unproductive.
    Most people are not productive all of the time. You're clearly a fan of 'presentism'.


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    #17
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,993 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    NewDubliner wrote: »
    Most people are not productive all of the time. You're clearly a fan of 'presentism'.
    Do you honestly believe people can't work 7.5 hour days without the last half hour being comprised of just sitting there? Do you think people only have 420 mins productivity in them that's spread over their day? I firmly believe, from my own work and that of colleagues, that people can easily do 450 minutes a day without tiring out and, indeed, longer (as many would testify to over on the Work & Jobs thread about hours a week).


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    #18
    grahamo
    Registered Users Posts: 761 ✭✭✭grahamo


    dny123456 wrote: »
    Public service, extra day off for Easter.... why? why why?

    Big Deal! So the civil service get 2 privelege days a year. Don't the private sector get 3 "Floating days" a year.


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    #19
    grahamo
    Registered Users Posts: 761 ✭✭✭grahamo


    ceret wrote: »
    Friend of mine works in the PS/CS. He got Good Friday off, Easter Monday and Tuesday off. I, as a private sector employee only got the statutory required Easter Monday off.

    It's this sort of excessive holidays that makes me incredibly jealous ofthe PS/CS.

    fixed it for you


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    #20
    sceptre
    Registered Users Posts: 19,608 ✭✭✭✭sceptre


    grahamo wrote: »
    Big Deal! So the civil service get 2 privelege days a year. Don't the private sector get 3 "Floating days" a year.
    I'm not aware that they do. Got any details or semi-tangible evidence?


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    #21
    Tazdedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 191 ✭✭Tazdedub


    Jaysus folks can we stop this public sector vs the private sector. Some jobs have better holidays and conditions than other jobs and thats just the way it is. I work in the private sector and I get 2 company days a year which I can take during the year, is this not the same as these privilege days?

    What needs to be focused on is the inefficencies in the public sector? The fat needs to be trimmed, but this is not the fault of the people that work there but the fault of their employers.

    Why dont you get onto the employers in the Public services to get the finger out and do something about it?

    Its about time people stop this public vs private and focus on the real problem and that is the politicians and the what they have done with our money over the boom years.


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    #22
    AARRRGH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    Tazdedub wrote: »
    Some jobs have better holidays and conditions than other jobs and thats just the way it is.

    I think the problem is people are saying it makes no sense for the civil service to have today off. Especially when it's our tax money paying for it.

    It's just another example of the bizarre privileges the civil service are entitled to.

    Btw, loads of private companies offer less than 22 days holidays per year.


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    #23
    Tazdedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 191 ✭✭Tazdedub


    AARRRGH wrote: »
    I think the problem is people are saying it makes no sense for the civil service to have today off. Especially when it's our tax money paying for it.

    It's just another example of the bizarre privileges the civil service are entitled to.

    And I bet there are other people out there in the private sector that have some other bizarre entitlements as well that other people in the private sector dont get, it just depends on the employer and unfortunately for everyone in the country that pays tax both private and public workers it is the fools in the Dail that are the employers of the public sector.

    What I am saying is that this public vs private sector argument that is going on needs to stop and the focus needs to go on the people who are in charge of running the publin sector namely the government.


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    #24
    Tazdedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 191 ✭✭Tazdedub


    AARRRGH wrote: »
    I think the problem is people are saying it makes no sense for the civil service to have today off. Especially when it's our tax money paying for it.

    It's just another example of the bizarre privileges the civil service are entitled to.

    Btw, loads of private companies offer less than 22 days holidays per year.

    And like I said before some companies in the private sector may offer better holidays that other companies in the private sector. Are you saying that everyone should be on the same holidays?


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    #25
    Mr E
    Registered Users Posts: 55,517 ✭✭✭✭Mr E


    It was covered on the Joe Duffy show today. By God did the Public Service guys come off as whingy moaners. I'm sure it'll be up here later.


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    #26
    Tazdedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 191 ✭✭Tazdedub


    sceptre wrote: »
    I'm not aware that they do. Got any details or semi-tangible evidence?

    Sceptre in the private sector it is up to the employer. I know I get 2 company days are year. The company nominate the 2 days and I can either take those days or take another day. Is this not the same as privilage days? How many other companies offer company days?


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    #27
    Sarn
    Registered Users Posts: 3,082 ✭✭✭Sarn


    lmimmfn wrote: »
    theres feck all wrong with that, my partner works in the civil service and gets 20 days off per year and 2 privilege days( 1 easter and 1 christmas and they must be taken within a month of when theyre given ). I work in the private sector and get 25 days per year. Im all for public service bashing lol, but not on this.

    These are the holidays I get as well for working in a public agency. Some of my friends in the private sector have more holidays than me, some have less. As mentioned, different jobs have different benefits. I think the problem is that the term "privilege day" rubs people up the wrong way.

    Regarding breaks, I only get one 15 min break, if I have the time to take it.

    I also heard the Joe Duffy show. I think some made some good points considering they were being attacked unnecessarily.


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    #28
    Tazdedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 191 ✭✭Tazdedub


    Mr E wrote: »
    It was covered on the Joe Duffy show today. By God did the Public Service guys come off as whingy moaners. I'm sure it'll be up here later.

    I can understand it, the way some people are going on about the public service, its seems people are blaming them for the problem the country is in. There was one caller on there who was pretty bad.

    I look at it this way if say a company in the private sector says that 23rd of april is a company day and closes for that day should everyone ring up liveline saying that a company in the private sector has closed for the day but my company hasnt.

    Like I said everyone needs to stop whinging and get start getting angry at the government, they are the ones that got the country into this mess and are not doing anything to fix it, thats where everyones anger should be going.


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    #29
    grahamo
    Registered Users Posts: 761 ✭✭✭grahamo


    sceptre wrote: »
    I'm not aware that they do. Got any details or semi-tangible evidence?

    I have worked in the engineering industry all my working life. Every company I have worked in gave workers 3 "floating days" or "company days or whatever you want to call them. These could be taken anytime. For instance, you could take one the day your car had to go for an NCT or a service.


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    #30
    sceptre
    Registered Users Posts: 19,608 ✭✭✭✭sceptre


    grahamo wrote: »
    I have worked in the engineering industry all my working life. Every company I have worked in gave workers 3 "floating days" or "company days or whatever you want to call them. These could be taken anytime. For instance, you could take one the day your car had to go for an NCT or a service.
    OK, well I realise that just like you I'm only talking one company at a time so it's not necessarily indicative of the private sector in its entirety but from my experience we can rule out the manufacturing sector, financial sector and IT sector. Rather than treat the entire "private sector" as one massive behemoth, which of course it isn't.
    Sarn wrote: »
    I think the problem is that the term "privilege day" rubs people up the wrong way.
    I suspect you're correct. If they're holidays, call them holidays. If that's a 22-day holiday entitlement, call it that.


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    #31
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,581 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    I get 2 priveledge days a year.... big woop!

    In the private sector 8 years ago I got 25 days leave a year with 3 extra days to cover over christmas when the place was closed for holidays!! So in fact I got 28 days leave per year.

    Now I get 24 days off (22 annual and 2 priveledge).... this country really has become full of begrudging f00ls that don't have a clue whats going on around them!


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