Public service job satisfaction
No comprehensive study has been conducted; management surveys and staff appraisal schemes provide some monitoring. Keating argues broader attention is needed, while MacSharry says dissatisfaction would be detected.
asked the Minister for the Public Service if any comprehensive study of job satisfaction and productivity in the public service has ever been carried out; and if any regular monitoring of job satisfaction takes place.
Comment on this
No comprehensive study of job satisfaction and productivity in the public service has been undertaken. However, such studies have been, and will continue to be, carried out from time to time in particular areas of the public service. The regular monitoring of job satisfaction takes place as part of the normal responsibilities of management in the public service. I should mention that the gradual introduction of schemes of staff appraisal and development should make a significant contribution to increasing management awareness of the levels of job satisfaction among staff.
Comment on this
Would the Government be willing to consider introducing some scheme to fill this vacuum in the light of the Minister's admission that no comprehensive study of job satisfaction and productivity in the public service has been undertaken? Does he not consider that a body which employs tens of thousands of people should at least encourage its employees in every way possible to carry out their jobs in a way which would satisfy them and be useful to the public? I should like to ask the Minister if he agrees that there is evidence to indicate that not everybody in the public service is clear about what he is doing, why he is doing it or towards which goal he is working. Some sort of survey should be carried out.
Comment on this
The management services of the Department of the Public Service carry out regular work surveys in the civil service and while these are done for improving efficiency and cost effectiveness there is no doubt that job satisfaction is taken into account.
Comment on this
Would the Minister accept that in the absence of any sort of social goal for various elements of the public service inevitably there will be some sort of dissatisfaction by people in the public service with regard to the grey areas in which they are working?