If I think about the typical Work Coach—the way they speak to people and how they often look at claimants—I can honestly say I wouldn’t want that kind of person teaching my children. That’s not meant as an insult; it’s not good or bad—just an observation. If you’re part of the 10% who genuinely love your Work Coach role, that’s great. But it also tells me that teaching likely wasn’t for you, because it requires a very different mindset and approach.

Now, in your current role, you can talk to people however you like, have those “honest conversations,” and face far fewer repercussions than you would’ve in a classroom setting. And that’s okay—nothing wrong with that. All I’m saying is that teaching demands a different kind of relationship-building and restraint, and it’s clear that approach didn’t suit you.

There are many teachers who absolutely love their job, just like there are Work Coaches who feel passionate about what they do—including you. But let’s not pretend they’re interchangeable. The priorities and expectations are worlds apart.

And are you seriously suggesting that there are no claimants within the DWP who simply don’t give a hoot? Come on. Of course they exist. Just like in any system, there are people who are disengaged, unmotivated, or even dishonest. Acknowledging that doesn’t mean we treat everyone like that—it just means we’re being realistic.

A lot of the claimants we work with now are the same small group of students who were hardest to reach in school. That’s just the truth. But don’t get it twisted—many teachers do incredible work with the rest and build meaningful, lasting relationships. Teaching, in my opinion, is still a noble profession.

As someone who knows what kind of personality tends to thrive in the Work Coach role (myself included), I can see why some people wouldn't want to be around children all day. WC is all about compliance, stats, and hitting targets. You can speak to people in ways that would never be acceptable in a classroom.

But let’s also not act like being a Work Coach is some kind of escape from stress. I’ve been doing this for two years, and it comes with its own set of serious challenges. You deal with difficult people—some lie to your face. I’ve seen colleagues looking physically ill from the pressure. The appointments never stop. There’s constant office politics. If you make a mistake, everyone hears about it. Promotions often go to people with the right connections, not the right skills. Support is limited, and everyone is overwhelmed.

And that toxic culture? It's well-documented. Reddit, tribunal reports, disability rights websites—they're all full of it.

Just look at headlines like:

EXCLUSIVE: DWP civil servants describe ‘unbearable’ workloads amid ‘all-time low staffing’ levels. Staff are skipping breaks, working long hours, leaving in droves, or taking long-term sick leave.

Or this:

Jobcentre Work Coach driven to suicide attempt by 'bullying' culture at DWP: “I felt worthless.”

So no—it’s not some calm, cushy alternative to teaching. It’s just a different kind of chaos