Are Government Jobs Worth It?

Are Government Jobs Worth It?

No sooner has the furore died down about PhDs and postgraduate applying for the post of peons at UP Government Secretariat that newspaper articles are carrying items about B.Techs and MBAs applying for the post of security guard in government establishments. What is the lure of a government job? Is it worth the struggle that millions of students undergo each year to qualify for lowly government posts when they have the talent and skills to start their own business. Or are government jobs the perfect career outcome for many? Let us note down the pluses and minuses and see if government jobs are indeed mere file pushing or a golden opportunity to serve the nation.

Yes

1. Regular salaries, innumerable perks- While companies offer variable pay and decide bonuses based on the profits you generate, a government job ensures a monthly salary. Moreover, private companies will only hire you if you can increase the profit margins, which can be a tough task.

2. Pension till death- Another good part about government jobs is that you get pension till death. Moreover, some amount of pension is also given to your spouse after your demise. Private jobs do not offer the choice of pension.

3. Plenty of Leisure - Government jobs are not as demanding as private sector jobs and compared to the bustling corporate sector, workload in government jobs is almost negligible. This translates into low levels of work related stress and more time to pursue your own interests and hobbies or future study plans

4. Many Skills Not Required - A government job will give you a salary regardless of how many hours you work. In addition to this, government jobs are not very taxing and low levels of skill are required to excel there. In the private sector, job security depends upon your ability to achieve targets in the workplace

5. Job Security - Government jobs are in huge demand because people can retire after a long career instead of being faced with possible terminations on account of job cuts.

6. Housing Facilities - While private sector jobs do not provide housing facilities, government jobs have official quarters thereby helping those starting out in their career by canceling rent or possible EMI on home loan. Moreover, government accommodation is generally in central parts of the city and close to all kinds of facilities such as shops and schools. Government quarters are centrally located and have many benefits associated with them.

7. Continuous Health Care - Health care has become expensive. Schemes like CGHS ensure government employees can access healthcare and medication at nominal costs. Additionally, government will bear all your medical expenses till you die.

8. Different types of allowances - Employees in the government sector get Dearness Allowance and Traveling Allowance to cover extra expenditure. You can also travel at concessional rates which is why people aspire for government jobs at any level.

9. Huge number of holidays and early office closing times: While private sectors work till late in the night and involve considerable sacrifices from the employee especially during vacation time, government offices remain closed maximum number of days in a week and hours in a day.

10. Position and glamour - Government jobs provide security and ensure that people are able to pull strings and get favors. A peon in the mantralaya could have many perks of being in a position of power, for example.

11. Pay and Benefits of government jobs is higher - State government jobs pay best salaries at entry level. Given that minimal age criterion for postman or mail guard is just Class X or XII, salary offered is a generous INR 20,000. This compares favorably with other options open to people of a given educational level. Other benefits like maternity leave, study leave and medical benefit also add to the lure.

No

1. Salaries only attractive at entry level - While a competent employee in the private sector can hope to get a bonus and attract more perks and privileges as the years advance, the same is not true for the public sector. What a senior government employee earns is nothing compared to what a top level executive in the corporate sector can demand.

2. Competent employees can work their way to the top - Salaries of top level professionals in the private sector far exceeds that of public sector and so does the power. An added advantage is that skilled employees can access promotions very fast and move up the corporate ladder.

3. Frustration and lack of promotion - Promotions in government jobs are highly politicised and government does not promote merit over seniority mostly. The private sector, on the other hand, rewards those with initiative and excellence in work related spheres

4. Government jobs are no longer permanent - Non performance in a government job has already been targeted by DoPT which has framed guidelines on how to deal with non performers and government officials who demand bribes. Government employees can no longer do as they please and have a casual approach towards work.

5. Government jobs can also be contractual - State governments are now creating contractual roles for HR for certain projects. Some governments are even outsourcing jobs to the private sector

6. Bureaucracy and red tapism - The high amount of bureaucratic politicking and red tape will also serve to create obstacles in career progression. It also creates organisational politics and makes for a very bad work environment where nothing gets done.

7. Corruption and bribery - Corruption is a reality in the government sector and you can even be isolated and discriminated against if you refuse to demand bribes

8. Political Interference - Even for the post of a government peon, political approval is needed. Given that politicians are hard to deal with, government officials are faced with the challenge of coping with them every day.

9. Lack of challenging work environment - Private sector offers many more challenges and opportunities for growth as compared to the government. Employees in the private sector also have higher levels of job satisfaction as government jobs are monotonous and repetitive.

Conclusion

Government jobs continue to attract the youth on account of factors such as job security. But the private sector is much more attractive for those who thrive on competition. Government jobs are poorly paid and there is talk of making employees contribute to their own pension. However, working for the government offers position, power and glamour too. Government officials get many privileges as part of the job. They also get to serve the nation. In short, the correct picture in the long term is that government jobs, much like the private sector, have their own pitfalls and advantages. Choose one or the other based on a clear idea of your strengths, capabilities, motivations and interests.