Adaptability key for public sector, expert says

An expert has warned public sector organisations that with the impact of government spending cuts beginning to bite, retaining staff who are able to adapt to varying roles could prove crucial.

Work Foundation associate policy director Steven Overell pointed out that as public services are such a vital part of life in some areas, simply abandoning some frontline provisions is not an option for many local authorities.

“These services have often been built up for a long period of time and they can’t just disappear,” he explained. “That obviously implies that people have to work in different ways to try to cover for people who lose their jobs.”

Mr Overell added that the outlook for the British private sector is not entirely rosy, with concerns over the strength of economic growth potentially piling extra stress on hardworking members of staff.

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His comments came after the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s latest Employee Outlook Survey revealed that 31 per cent of public sector workers felt they were at risk of redundancy, as opposed to 20 per cent overall.

Posted by Ross George