67% of Cayman civil servants engaged in jobs

| 15/12/2017 | 60 Comments

(CNS): Government officials are claiming that the majority of civil servants “are proud to say they are a government worker and are highly engaged” after civil service management conducted a survey in October. According to a press release from the portfolio, 61% of those who work in core government (2,278 people) took part. However, the results of the survey have not yet been made public and only a few statistics have been revealed. Government also stated that there is a positive sentiment regarding job fulfillment, with 74% of participants saying they were both interested and challenged by their work.

The government officials said the survey was “the most comprehensive” ever conducted among public sector employees, though nearly 40% of workers did not take part, and it was distributed and managed by an independent survey company.

Part of the 5-Year Strategic Plan, it was undertaken to assess employees’ views on a wide range of issues that impact their overall engagement, including pay and benefits, leadership and managing change, organisational culture, resources and workload, and learning and development.

The release said that the overall results were positive but that there were concerns over compensation, taking action and managing change, though officials said that was not unexpected and a strategy is under development to address those concerns in the future. No figures were released to illustrate this issue or to support the additional claims made that civil servants have “favorable views of leaders” and that they think “their managers are considerate and open” and have confidence in management decisions.

Results from individual ministries and departments are also expected in the coming weeks to allow the relevant managers to take action for their teams. CNS has asked when the survey will be published and we are awaiting a response.

The civil service is undergoing considerable change and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who has responsibility for the estimated 3,500 core government workers, said he has ambitious plans to make the service world class. “I believe it’s an achievable goal. A key component of that plan is to have a team of engaged civil servants who are ready and able to make a difference in the lives of those we serve.”

Chief Office Gloria McField-Nixon, who will be at the helm of the changes in the five-year plan, said she was pleased with the overall results of the survey and the insights gained. “We now have a better grasp of what we are doing well, what we need to improve, and how we will approach our efforts in the coming years,” she said.

The portfolio said it plans to conduct the survey annually to measure the internal impact of efforts to implement the strategic plan.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tags: , , ,

Category: Government Administration, Politics

Comments (60)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    In the Brac the whole civil service are a BIG mess, no accountability, they do as they please. like,
    in the shops eating at 9 am

  2. Anonymous says:

    more wonderland nonsense….
    read miller shaw or e&y reports…that’s all you need to know about the civil service…
    overpaid, overstaffed, underworked, under-performing………….

    14
    7
  3. Anonymous says:

    I have worked for government for over 16 years and I have only had two performance appraisals. One many years ago when you were told to complete some insignificant form and hand it to supervisor. Then you never saw or heard about it again. The other one was the same thing given to me to complete and then signed by head of department and that was it. No meeting, no goals set NOTHING.

    22
    1
    • Anonymous says:

      Well teachers get it “done to them” twice a year. Of course it is meaningless as if you are underperforming and local you still get to keep your job.

    • Anonymous says:

      What is wrong with your department? I have worked for the Government for over 20 years and have had 5 I think. Not enough but the effort to improve was there. Stop the misinformation. Yawn.

      2
      2
  4. Anonymous says:

    Donuts. They love engaging with donuts.

    13
    4
  5. Anonymous says:

    we still sing old glory down at the courthouse…and white lightning still the biggest thrill of all!!?

  6. Anonymous says:

    Thank you 10:36. That is often my experience also. The Civil Service is not perfect but it has vastly improved. It is heartening to see the high level of engagement in many sectors.Thank you for your service.

    6
    8
  7. Anonymous says:

    Tell that to company registry, must be the worst government department ever. Always losing your paperwork, CORIS never works, no one answers the phone and my fav, ” oh the only person to help you is not here” meaning that in a department that services the financial sector they have two maybe three people in the department with the credentials to solve issues when it comes to there system, funny thing is those 2 or 3 people is hardly there. FINANCIAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD MY A$$!

    10
    5
  8. Anonymous says:

    So many posters are jealous of the civil service.

    I love my job and would never work in the private sector. I see what my sister has to tolerate… the foreign workers constantly trying to get jobs for their friends and family and push Caymanians put. Meanwhile in the civil service my foreign co worker was replaced by a Caymanian. Not to mention the rise in unfair dismissals in the private sector and abuse of workers no pension or health coverage. I have a dream job and love it.

    Go ahead and be jealous but without us none of you would live the life you do.

    Proud civil servant.

    13
    35
    • Anonymous says:

      8,:40 am, try to be on time, do some work and don’t call in sick every month, like many C S do.

  9. poor service every where says:

    Yes it is true. Some private sector employees offer poor service period. we have to change that.

    7
    2
  10. Anonymous says:

    Thanks for teachers who never get a break from the time they walk in the school till when they leave. Thanks for being nurse, psychiatrist, social worker, parent and friend to my children. For the attending endless meetings and organizing activities long after school hours, for making sure my kids get a meal when I forget their lunch money. I am grateful I know that you are all engaged at school. That your lunch time is only on paper and that you have to hold it in till later for the bathroom. You are blessed servants, teachers..
    I wish the public could give you more. From the depths of my heart. Have a happy holiday.

    27
  11. Anonymous says:

    Also I suggest block there computers from browsing and shopping online and there cell phones from playing games you might get some work out of them… And make them all clock in and out only pay for time worked..We might get something out of them like a good 3 hours work 5 hours play…

    15
    7
  12. Not Sonia says:

    “make a difference in the lives of those we serve”? Give it a rest, it’s a paying job and you serve nobody.

    13
    9
  13. Anonymous says:

    These results are really not a true reflection of the level of engagement of civil servants- especially if 40% of these persons didn’t even complete the survey… that’s approximately 1,000 civil servants! Is that an even more significant indicator of disengaged…. or what other reasons would so many people not even take the time to complete the survey! As a civil servant, I completed the survey after our director emailed all staff to remind it to do it so we wouldn’t look as the department with the least participation! What’s the point I asked? It’s not like anything will change or improve? What was also concerning was though the survey was anonymous, when you opened it, it still could identify which department you were completing it from? Talk about anonymity! It will be interesting to see what the results were from each department/ministry when released!

    19
    1
    • Anonymous says:

      Required leave, paid suspension etc would add up to a huge part of the 40% who did not partake

      7
      2
    • Anonymous says:

      4:30 if you really are a civil servant and you haven’t seen the positive change in the civil service over the past 5 years then I really have to question your level of engagement. Why did your director have to remind you to take the survey?

      The mere fact that the DG decided to conduct the survey and publish the results is a sea change.

      And of course the survey must identify which department you worked in. If not, what would be the point of the survey?

      I am a another proud civil servant who see major change in the civil service. My civil service cares about my performance and conducts regular performance assessments and my performance was rewarded last year after my pay was frozen for 8 years. I have received more training opportunities in the last 2 years than in the last 20 years. I could go on.

      Thank you DG for caring enough to conduct this survey and to publish the results.

      I really believe that with all the reform plans for next year. The engagement level of civil servants will rise to over 70%

      I know the private sector employees are jealous of us civil servants. I can only imagine the results of a survey like this conducted in the private sector.

      9
      10
    • Anonymous says:

      Yes we have these surveys in the private sector, and whilst the HR and leadership all say these are private and confidential, they absolutely are not. We have had people having stuff that they wrote privately in the belief it was confidential being quoted back to them. Not good for job security, although I would think the courts would back the employees…The result? No-one writes what they think any more. The point of survey has become null and void.

      13
      1
  14. Veritas says:

    What should have been asked is how many civil servants are running their own businesses and how many (if any) answer the phone when a member of public is callng.

    35
    2
    • Beaumont Zodecloun says:

      Isn’t that the sad, sad truth. Mind, I don’t begrudge any civil servant having the sand to operate a business apart from their government vocation. No, but what I DO mind is those that put their own business above that position which they hold in the CIG.

      13
  15. Anonymous says:

    as the bible says…pray for the politicans☺?

    8
    1
  16. Anonymous says:

    I think the CS should be run like the private sector.

    Results would be drastic.

    15
    6
    • Anonymous says:

      No it wouldn’t.
      I worked for big private companies like the Shell and Boeing. The bureaucracy is horrible.
      The problem is the size of the organisation. For governments there is an additional issue and that is the involvement of politicians in the daily operations. The last being very destructive and demotivating on this island.
      For example, a permit was denied for a certain project, i was involved in, and a simple phone call to the responsible minister was enough to grant permission.
      This is extremely frustrating for the civil servants involved. They did their job, but politics overruled.

      10
      3
    • like private my says:

      yes over charging everyone and not speaking English.

      5
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      And 2:55. Exactly how should the civil service operate like the private sector. You mean like charge the true cost of services? You think it really costs $25 to produce a police record. Of couse the private sector doesn’t provide free service so you would have to pay for garbage service and pay when you call the police or fire department. Is this what you were referring to?

      Or the civil service could treat it’s employee like the private sector and increase their pay each year and provide big fat bonuses. Wow that would be nice.

      Oh wait the civil service should only open 8:30 to 6pm mom to Friday and half day on Saturday. So that means no immigration police customs services after hours.

      What exactly do you mean? And don’t tell me high performance because I just spent 4 hrs trying to get my power and telephone connected and I was told come back next week. Meanwhile I got a work permit for my helper in 4 days.

      10
      5
      • Anonymous says:

        8:43am, we do pay for garbage collection, years ago the duties was raised on goods from 20% to 22 %, the 2 extra % was put on for the garbage collection because plenty people would not pay the garbage frees. That was the way to make all people pay. Did you ever pay your garbage fees ?

    • Anonymous says:

      2:55. I agree let’s run the civil service like the private sector. This is the perfect time of the year.

      Let’s hand out big fat bonuses and pay increases. Let’s rent the Ritz Westin and Kimpton and have an all expense paid Christmas party for Civil Servants.

      Is that what you mean. No you don’t so stop saying it.

      Governments can never be run like the private sector whose only goal is profit. Who can raise their fees every year and pay employees top dollar. Others can import cheap labour and squeeze out Caymanians to gain big profits. Maybe we should hire cheap Filipino workers at DVDL since we can’t afford more Caymanian staff.

      4
      3
  17. Anonymous says:

    It is common knowledge that 78.56% of statistics are made up

    15
    4
  18. Anonymous says:

    One only needs to visit the dvdl to witness first hand just how ‘engaged’ they are with standing room only and two windows manned

    25
    2
    • Anonymous says:

      I agree. I visited the DVDL this past week and one of the cashiers left her post to come out into the waiting room to catch up with an old friend. The room was full so it was appalling to say the least.

      14
      2
  19. Anonymous says:

    Every civil and public servant should be able to complete a performance review of managers and heads of department. Those results would mean something.

    40
    1
    • Anonymous says:

      That will be the day! They will NEVER let that happen.

    • Anonymous says:

      YES, the stupid EPM performance evaluation is just a rubber stamp as long as you’re in good with your manager. What about feedback from staff TO managers? Now THAT would be interesting for sure. And how about making that feedback transparent for all to see? For example, there is a horrible manager at XXXXXX that everyone detests, she holds the pursestrings and makes it impossible for anyone to do their job unless they grovel to her, and does many other questionably ethical things, but she manages up well, maybe even too well… so nothing will happen to her, even though she is ruining the place. Ask anyone in XXXXXX, anyone at all, and they will know who this person is. What does that tell you? But you would never see a survey asking for input on managers because the managers themselves would not allow it.

      Yet, these are the sorts of people in CIG who make real positive change impossible, which I believe the DG does want. Surveys like this are meaningless because they try to make it look like someone is listening when they are not. These problems do not need surveys to be identified, everyone knows who the problems are, but no one has the spine to deal with them. Franz, if you are serious, something needs to be done about the problematic middle managers. Will you do it? Make the managers get critiques from their subordinates during their performance process, a 360 degree review, and then look at them yourself. Then you will see all you need to know to reform CIG.

      4
      1
  20. Anonymous says:

    A recent survey by the world survey authority suggested that surveys are about as useful as a toothache with an error margin of 99.98976859% error

    14
    2
    • 67.2985% of this is made up. says:

      There are 3 types of lies, “lies”, “damned lies” & “statistics”

      12
      1
  21. Sideshow Bob says:

    Wonder if part of the survey asked how many of those civil servants have side line businesses and how much time they spend at Work attending to those businesses.

    16
    1
    • Anonymous says:

      I wonders about that I know someone who I believe attends to his personal business more than he works for government… How can they get so much time off..

  22. Anonymous says:

    Those are rookie numbers.

    4
    1
  23. Uncivil Servant says:

    67% of respondents were skeptical of the guise of anonymity.

    22
  24. Anonymous says:

    40% didn’t take part because, I am guessing, they are disengaged. Either that or could not turn their computers on. If it is true that there are 6000 civil servants, then 2400 are potentially not engaged, which is where the public probably gets its impression about any encounters with the CS. Not sure this can be claimed as a victory, although it is a good start to understanding what is going wrong

    19
    1
  25. West bay Premier says:

    I would be happy with my job too to know I can commit big monetary crime and don’t have to work and still get paid for years after .

    19
    6
  26. Anonymous says:

    It’s alarming that there are not regularly scheduled performance reviews to collect data from 100% of our public employees. Who is running HR?

    19
    3
    • Just Askin' says:

      Fresh off the boat?

      12
    • Anonymous says:

      10:36. Where are you getting your info from …Mars? They civil service has a 100% success rate on performance management. This has been achieved for the last 4 years.

      And yes I am a proud civil servant. Go ahead and post your negative comments but I can tell you we have made major improvements within the civil service. Hopefully the private sector will do the same soon. I just waited 45 min to pay my phone bill. And obtained my police record in 5 min. Go figure.

      10
      9
      • Anonymous says:

        Quite ironic you choose to demonstrate inefficiency by highlighting your chosen method of paying a bill in person.

        Maybe if the customers of our utility companies chose more efficient methods of paying their bills the companies would have more capacity to help with ‘real’ issues, increasing efficiency for all

        7
        2
      • Anonymous says:

        Your inefficiency shines through. I just paid my phone in 30 seconds online. Shame I have to go to tje actual post office where my box is to pay that bill. No other post office will do, apparently.

        6
        1
      • Veritas says:

        3.31pm Pay your phone bill online – 60 seconds!.Visit the DVDL, if that’s a “major improvement” God help us all. Try calling a Gov’t dept. and see what happens (voice mail 99% of the time, leave a message and nothing happens).

      • Anonymous says:

        Police record in 5 minutes? Seems unlikely as the process involves coming back the next day!

        10
        2
        • Anonymous says:

          On the Brac police records takes 3 days has to go Admin. Bldg
          Pay the fee and take it to the
          Police station and go back 3 days later to collect it.

      • Anonymous says:

        5 minutes for a police record? Now that’s a record. O wait. You work there.

      • Anonymous says:

        I highly doubt the success rate of management performance is 100%. Reading your comment is more proof of highly exaggerated statistics. If it was so I garuntee the remaining 43% would’ve gladly taken the survey.

        5
        1
      • Anonymous says:

        So if you are all so good, why the hell don’t you answer the phones and why is the Driving license place such a mess? Customer service does not exist…

        9
        2
      • Anonymous says:

        3:31 pm , that 45 mins. was that on Govt. time or your time ? 3:31 pm tells me, private section has to rush and pay it on lunch time or saturdays.

Leave a Reply to Not Sonia Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.