Social standing and public sector work

Apart from answering “So, what do you do?” questions, the only time claiming to be a public servant comes in really handy in this town is for the discount on retail books and on otherwise-empty hotel rooms.

Otherwise, you really are just one of a big herd.
Some people might higher-paid arts of that herd than others, but they’re not special to the degree they think they are.

As a suit wearer, I’ve copped my share of unfair attitude from back dock workers, tradies and the like and I’ve overheard comments about “there a PS out there wanting service” etc. I think there n an assumption that if you wear a suit, and have a swipe card around your neck, then you’re a “pube”, and a lazy one at that. Doesn’t seem to cross their minds that I work for a private company, treat everyone the way I like to be treated, and it was the same when I actually worked in the Public Service. There has been ridiculous stereotyping about suit wearers, and indeed all Canberran’s for years. Funny that you see less comments about Canberra being a “dull town full of pubes” now that people are mobbing here from the bigger cities because our town rules and they’ve finally realised the gems of Canberra.

When I used to work in retail years ago, I worked for a popular but pretentious Men & Womens clothing and housewares store in the Canberra Centre (I’ll let you all work this one out…it’s not hard), you should have seen how sad and pathetic it was to see the behavior of several members of Canberra’s rugby league team. They’d waltz in, expect the attention of ALL staff members, would interrupt staff that were assisting other customers and make it clear that everyone knew they were in the store. Often they’d opt to use the open store area to change their shirts, and take their time while doing it. `Still make me cringe thinking about it? Can’t suppose I can blame them. The rest of the staff I was working with would lap it up, and do more than encourage it.

Any government is going to take some time to whip it’s new young yahoos back into line.

Having said that Rudd does seem to be hiring some real little toads.

I find that the more pressured and stressed people are, the less patience they have with people wasting their time. From my experience, the demands being placed on advisers and the like is phenominal. They start work before 7am, finish later that 8pm, travel all the time and work on weekends. They literally have no life.

This doesnt excuse rude behaviour but I know I can be a little rude when under extreme time pressure.

I think it’s mroe a case of “the old mob had got used to us, and we’d got used to them, and so rudeness lowered a bit – the new mob is still finding out exactly how far they can push us before we snap back….”

poptop said :

Are the staffers of either party noticably worse?

My experience is the staff of the current Governments are much ruder than the previous sets.

It’s a bit sad when we seem to vote for them so consistently.

I find them pretty much the same. All full of their own self (un)importance.

Are the staffers of either party noticably worse?

My experience is the staff of the current Governments are much ruder than the previous sets.

It’s a bit sad when we seem to vote for them so consistently.

“Not unusual for any particular person to try that, worked in retail for many years. So many people personally knew the CEO of the large australian company or local member of parliament and were going to call them and complain. It was normally greated with “OK you do that, cya!””

I am almost guaranteed to get this everyday. My reply almost always echoes yours. ^_^

I think if you have to say “Don’t you know who I am?”, you clearly aren’t important enough to claim whatever you are attempting to claim.

Not unusual for any particular person to try that, worked in retail for many years. So many people personally knew the CEO of the large australian company or local member of parliament and were going to call them and complain. It was normally greated with “OK you do that, cya!”

Gets you nowhere.

There’s an old urban legend that did the rounds of the big consulting firm I started out with a number of years ago.

Apparently the office in Sydney had a big bench where the graduates all sat, and one evening just after 5pm one of the managing partners rang the bench and demnanded the graduate who picked up the phone report to his office as they had an urgent report that had to be copied, collated and delivered, a job expected to take most of the night. The grad responded with “but I’m about to leave, and have plans”. The partner said in his best grumpy voice: “don’t you know who I am”? The grad responds “sure, do you know who I am”? The partner says “no, I have no idea who you are”. So the grad says “great, have a great night, I’m off”!

Personally I think the ‘don’t you know who I am’ line makes you a grade A cockbag.

Yes Dave, because why teach the teens when you can act like one right?

nyssa76 said :

My favourite is when I am asked what I do for a living. I say I’m a Govt high school teacher and their response is “Oh so your THAT type of Public Servant”.

I’d respond with ‘Oh so your THAT type of F**khead”

My favourite is when I am asked what I do for a living. I say I’m a Govt high school teacher and their response is “Oh so your THAT type of Public Servant”.

Pisses me off.

Maybe I should use the “I’m special” rant and see what they say to that.

I am pretty sure that those criticised would be staffers, from the big house or the small hovel that is the fitting home of the ACT Assembly.

Now, politicians themselves have to get elected, so they can develop some capacity to recognise the needs of others (most without making plaintive inquiries about whether anyone around knows who they are). Most public servants learn sooner rather than later that more flies are caught with honey than with vinegar and that humane humility is never a silly stance. The seething army of Ministerial staffers, on the other hand comprises people who…. are not elected. They are not appointed on the basis of competence, but often for some kind of political reason so that they can do political stuff for the Minister or as a reward or a consolation prize or for being a rellie. Because, in their dealings with others (backbenchers, public servants, the media) they speak on behalf of the Minister, they are used to getting whatever they want without being questioned. Some are very young, and many lack life experience outside a party/union/industry lobby. (Think of young footballers as a comparable, though usually dumber, group). Ministers would often be shocked at what is demanded in their names and the decisions communicated as if they were made by the Minister …

I was amused when I first arrived in Canberra by the number of people in social situations that asked me “What level are you ?” as an initial break the ice type question. It was weird at the time, I have got used to it now. I just politely excuse myself from these people and seek out other to talk to who don’t need to judge my worthiness before associating with me.

I’m surprised anyone skites about being a PS or working at the big house in this town. I mean, it’s frakken Canberra! *Everyone* works for someone we’ve all heard of. Who gives a flying f**k? Some people though are too full of themselves.
I’ve worked for a senior pollie, and it was made very clear to myself and my colleagues to keep our mouths shut about anything we heard or saw at work.

It doesn’t take too long for most people in the APS to realize that they aren’t all that and that there is a whole town of silly servants just like them.

As suggested, probably a Ministerial advisor or, just possibly, a grad or APS noob who doesn’t quite know yet that most normal people just don’t give a stuff.

There are plenty of places and social circles in town where public servants are quite reticent to mention their occupation.

ick, yeah..i’ve had it happen as well, good old retail..

really, i dont really give a toss if you work for so-and-so. just stop being an asshole to me!

Shannski said :

He even tried telling me he paid my wage, and I worked for him. A few harsh words said with care put him in his place.

I think it’s a bit rich for someone whose pay comes from taxpayer funds telling somebody else that they ‘pay your wage’.

What a douchebag.

Hahaha, it’s not just limited to the PS. It’s shown by anyone who seems to earn a lot of dosh.

Money doesn’t make the man.

I would just offer them a cookie (sarcastic tone) if they pulled out the ‘i work in the PS, therefore i deserve special treatment’ rant.

or…

SamTSeppo said :

Pull out your phonecamera, snap a picture of them, and tell them you’re glad they reported who they worked for, so that you can send their boss a photo of a public employee acting like a total douchebag. Smile sweetly the entire time you do this.

When Brendan Nelson was minister of Defence, I use to deal with his office alot…

His PA was a right ol’ bastard, Tried pulling the “Do you know who I am?/Who I work for?” I told him on many occasions, Yes i know, but I dont care, He even tried telling me he paid my wage, and I worked for him. A few harsh words said with care put him in his place.

Just feel sorry for them. They get yelled at by their minister, and made to suck up sh*t all the time. They attempt to take it out on public servants – and the senior pubes just bite back these days and protect their staff, knowing that the Rudd Government isn’t in good shape. Many of the young ministerial advisers are either barely-skilled neophytes, or due to the cutbacks in ministerial staff numbers are so overworked they can’t function well. If they’re kicking shop assistants around, that means the Labor advisers are not managing to kick anyone around of any hierarchical note!

Yeah I think you guys must be right…. it may just be ministerial staff.

I don’t know why they are so full of themselves though… the work sucks, the hours are bad and the pay is crappy.

I guess that ‘white trash’ comment above really is the truth of it with some of these people.

I wouldn’t want to broadcast I was an overpaid secretary…

Pull out your phonecamera, snap a picture of them, and tell them you’re glad they reported who they worked for, so that you can send their boss a photo of a public employee acting like a total douchebag. Smile sweetly the entire time you do this.

Indeed, carry on like that and you end up eating a lot of spit.

Daughter works in the local cab call centre, and she’s made comment a number of times about noobs at the big house demanding priority service with an attached “Don’t you know who I am? / who I work for?” style rider. Not pubes, sounds more like highly placed ministerial staff.

Being trained in appropriate behaviour by an honorable father, she would never push such an arrogant a***hole repeatedly to the end of the queue, but she COULD!! That’s what these bottom feeders don’t get, the “little” people can be very punishing to people who attempt to lord it over them.

Not a public servant if they work for a Senator – that would probably make them an ‘advisor’, which is a political position contracted directly to (eg) a Minister/Senator. Therefore, they do not have to abide by the PS code of conduct.

It would be most unusual for a PS to carry on in the way described above, given the ‘shiny bum’ kind of flak public servants are usually subjected to. And mostly they have to keep their mouths shut for confidentiality reasons.

However I abhor people name dropping to get some kind of advantage – it totally removes the goodwill from any transaction when a working person is treated as a ‘personal slave’. If you recall the Senator’s name, I suggest you call their office and make a complaint, which should be treated seriously.

I’ve not really noticed it, to be honest. However, in past dealings with some ministerial staff (NOT public servants, direct employees of the members) I was astonished at their arrogance (and ineptitude… kiddies if you want something special done for your boss, don’t antagonise the people who’ll be doing it). however, I must say that in recent years, and with the change of gov’t, pretty well all of them were very professional. But as the new gov’t and its people get comfortable, maybe that’s changing?

However, you just can’t write off what these sales assistants are experiencing, and it’s noteable that in their position, they are often seen as being at the bottom of the heap. I wonder if that is bringing out a bit of extra arrogance not usually seen? My view is that people who behave like this are the equivalent of white trash, people with no class who take any opportunity (and they don’t get many) to lord it over someone whom they perceive to be lower on the scale than they.