Clerical Officer Campaign 2016 - The story continues

Kaiya

I have being offered a place in a garda station. Just wondering can u still work up flexi time or is it 9 to 5

podsull1

Kaiya wrote: »

I have being offered a place in a garda station. Just wondering can u still work up flexi time or is it 9 to 5

Hey where is that. Yeah it's flexi

Mikefitzs

Kaiya wrote: »

I have being offered a place in a garda station. Just wondering can u still work up flexi time or is it 9 to 5

Great place to work. Lovely people, Gardai and and civilians alike. Only thing is no opportunity for overtime and promotional opportunities are limited.
Just to add, flexi time is available in most stations and most positions however, some positions require specific working hours.

MegX

Started as CO few months ago. Have previous TCO contracts & increments finally getting sorted now. If you are eg on point 2 TCO do you have to wait til your next increment date to move up to point 3 on CO scales or do you automatically move up a point to 4 under CO scales? Seen info on HSE CO threads but not sure if it applies to recruitment under this campaign. Thanks.

fin12

MegX wrote: »

Started as CO few months ago. Have previous TCO contracts & increments finally getting sorted now. If you are eg on point 2 TCO do you have to wait til your next increment date to move up to point 3 on CO scales or do you automatically move up a point to 4 under CO scales? Seen info on HSE CO threads but not sure if it applies to recruitment under this campaign. Thanks.

I thinks it’s you skip point 4 and go to 5. Like I’m currently waiting to go on to point 3 but next year when I’m going on to point 4 I’ll just go straight to 5. That’s what I’ve been told.

MegX

fin12 wrote: »

I thinks it’s you skip point 4 and go to 5. Like I’m currently waiting to go on to point 3 but next year when I’m going on to point 4 I’ll just go straight to 5. That’s what I’ve been told.

Thanks fin12. Due to go up a point in June so hopefully it will automatically skip one for me.

fin12

MegX wrote: »

Thanks fin12. Due to go up a point in June so hopefully it will automatically skip one for me.

https://www.forsa.ie/new-entrants-deal-kicks-in/

Hi, you might want to have a read of this, new entrants skip points 4 and 8.

MegX

fin12 wrote: »

https://www.forsa.ie/new-entrants-deal-kicks-in/

Hi, you might want to have a read of this, new entrants skip points 4 and 8.

Thanks for that. Did some TCO contracts from 2006 for few years so don't think I will come in under those terms worse luck. Thanks for all your help.

Nekarsulm

Hi all, finally got my placement last week.
Was initially picked for Garda Station, but failed Special Vetting.
End of the saga is in sight!

deathofan80sman

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Hi all, finally got my placement last week.
Was initially picked for Garda Station, but failed Special Vetting.
End of the saga is in sight!

What is 'Special Vetting'? I'm sending in a declaration and reference list for appointment, after months of vetting...is there a second level of vetting again?!?

deathofan80sman

Hey...thoughts please:

I recently started training w Customs (3 yr contract), and have been love-bombed in induction regarding the promotion opportunities at Revenue overall. Thing is, I have zero interest in trade, duties and customs. I have also been offered CO w the Gardai...EVERYone says the Gards are poor on advancement, and I might get stuck w a demon of an officer above you (but could be true of anywhere, surely!). My leanings are way more towards the social issues (SocSci Masters, for all the good it does:), so I'm wondering should I sacrifice opportunity-rich but procedurally-concentrated Customs, for increment-only but social-issue-focused Gardai? Also, does anyone know if the Gardai facilitate professional development as in Revenue (I'm trying to start a Professional Dip in Human Rights & Equality through Revenue).

Only I can answer these Q's, of course...but, as above, thoughts would be welcome!

Nekarsulm

deathofan80sman wrote: »

What is 'Special Vetting'? I'm sending in a declaration and reference list for appointment, after months of vetting...is there a second level of vetting again?!?

Special Vetting is every traffic stop you hsd a problem with, every penalty point you got, what your local Sarge knows about your family, if you ever went to a republician funeral/march/political demo and had your photo taken.
Any family members married/shacked up with anyone dodgy?
Your credit and financial history ( would you be suseptable to a bribe), ever defaulted on a loan, had a court order tsken out, Etc, etc, eyc

PS, for positions connected with the Dept. Justice only. Garda Stations, Customs, Courts etc.

Samjd

deathofan80sman wrote: »

Hey...thoughts please:

I recently started training w Customs (3 yr contract), and have been love-bombed in induction regarding the promotion opportunities at Revenue overall. Thing is, I have zero interest in trade, duties and customs. I have also been offered CO w the Gardai...EVERYone says the Gards are poor on advancement, and I might get stuck w a demon of an officer above you (but could be true of anywhere, surely!). My leanings are way more towards the social issues (SocSci Masters, for all the good it does:), so I'm wondering should I sacrifice opportunity-rich but procedurally-concentrated Customs, for increment-only but social-issue-focused Gardai? Also, does anyone know if the Gardai facilitate professional development as in Revenue (I'm trying to start a Professional Dip in Human Rights & Equality through Revenue).

Only I can answer these Q's, of course...but, as above, thoughts would be welcome!

Working in a Garda Station is all admin, there would be very little chance of you working on any social issues.

Nekarsulm

Currently on probation as a CO.
In our section alone (12 people) two have came from Garda stations, and have little good to report about their experience there over a decade and several different stations

deathofan80sman

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Special Vetting is every traffic stop you hsd a problem with, every penalty point you got, what your local Sarge knows about your family, if you ever went to a republician funeral/march/political demo and had your photo taken.
Any family members married/shacked up with anyone dodgy?
Your credit and financial history ( would you be suseptable to a bribe), ever defaulted on a loan, had a court order tsken out, Etc, etc, eyc

PS, for positions connected with the Dept. Justice only. Garda Stations, Customs, Courts etc.

Good to know...and were you placed elsewhere that didn't require 'Special Vet'?

deathofan80sman

Samjd wrote: »

Working in a Garda Station is all admin, there would be very little chance of you working on any social issues.

For sure. I was TCO in SUSI tho, all admin too, but made a difference dealing w individual lives:) Customs is fine, just a different kind of focus. Hoping to avail of developmental opportunities, relevant to the dept...very little of a social nature relevant to Revenue/Customs, potentially more w the gards, I guess (I am LITErally guessing!)

Augme

I can see very little opportunity for dealing with social issues with the guards tbh. What social issues do you even think you would get to deal with? Also your a clerical officer, you'll be doing clerical duties anyway.

I'd go with revenue as as promotion opportunities trump everything.

playerunkn0wn

*This affects everyone who was appointed from the 2016 Clerical Officer panel*

Regarding break in service / increments; Circular 08 of 2019 which sets out the revised arrangements applying to starting pay. This circular supersedes previous circulars (most significantly 21/2004 and 40/2007) which had many ways of preventing a newly appointed CO (and others but in this case I am focussing on Cos) from carrying previous service toward their increments. Many of you will have been prevented from carrying previous service because you were deducted 3 years’ service on appointment or you had a break in service exceeding 6 weeks.

Basically those appointed after January 18 are entitled to carry previous service regardless of break in service, and have been back paid to January 18.

The provisions of this circular apply to those appointed after January 18. January 18 is an arbitrary and injudicious date. There is no logic provided for why that date was applied HOWEVER there is only one clerical officer panel. Any adjustments made to the appointment process and the entitlements of those affected should apply to the entire panel. Instead, those who performed better in the recruitment process have been left disadvantaged.

Those who are further down the panel have benefitted from this. In fact, people who were on maternity etc. who were unable to start at their intended “appointment date” have benefitted from this as because their appointment date has been delayed until AFTER January 18 they have now been able to carry all their service, regardless of break in service, and have been back paid to January 18.

The application of this circular has been incredibly unfair. People should not be essentially punished for performing better. This will result in massive financial loss to many people. I cannot believe the union have not taken issue with this. This should have been amended to apply to the entire panel before introduction. I am not sure of the number on the panel that began appointments in January 18, I know of people who should have been appointed earlier but had to defer for various reasons and were granted the benefit of this circular. I do not know the numbers who are affected by this nationwide but I imagine it is significant.

This decision will affect the pay of those who have been disadvantaged for the rest of their career, resulting in lower pay in both the short term (losing out on previous service which would count if they were lower down the panel) and long term (being appointed at lower points on pay scales in future when promoted).
At least that is my understanding of the situation but I am happy to hear from those more qualified.

Please see Circular 08 of 2019 ( available from DPER) for reference.

TL:DR People who performed worse in the recruitment process are receiving benefits that those who placed higher on the panel have not been afforded resulting in a significant discrepancy between the two (those appointed before/after January 18) with short and long term financial loss as a result.