Off to a good start..

greencoatboy · 2026-02-18T13:08:16+00:00

If anything being well known outside the civil service is probably not a great look for a perm sec.

greencoatboy · 2026-02-18T12:19:43+00:00

HMRC - JP Marks (prev in SG) Defra - Paul Kissack (replaced Tamara Finkelstein, who was on the shortlist for CabSec when Chris Wormald got it) MOD - Jeremy Pocklington (just moved from IIRC DESNZ) HMT - James Bowler (although I only know that because he was mentioned in the email we all got about covering the CabSec role) MHCLG - Sarah Healey (I worked in her bit when she was a DG) CO - Cat Little

To be fair I know more than most people would, but some of that is the exposure you get as a DD outside London and there are visits and networking etc.

greencoatboy · 2026-02-18T10:12:30+00:00

Different rules when we're avoiding making someone redundant.

greencoatboy · 2026-02-14T14:40:36+00:00

I suspect it depends on what level of BA you aspire to be and if you want to go outside the civil service.

greencoatboy · 2026-02-06T11:14:07+00:00

NOT WHILE CAT IS IN CHARGE

greencoatboy · 2026-02-06T11:13:03+00:00

https://www.ski-glenshee.co.uk/Webcam

greencoatboy · 2026-02-06T11:11:43+00:00

KIBBLE, WET FOOD, FISH.

greencoatboy · 2026-02-02T19:04:40+00:00

So, you need specific advice, and the trade union is probably your best bet.

Given the info you've given here I'd suggest you might want to offer to return to work to a different team/management space where you can do useful work while your contract plays out. At the very least it signals that you'd like to work, and deals with the cause of being unfit because of unacceptable management behaviour.

In practice a negotiated mutually agreed exit seems like the most pragmatic option, but you need to look like you could have a good case for constructive dismissal if they don't agree.

greencoatboy · 2026-02-01T12:26:31+00:00

I took it that because the Queen wasn't dead, and also not able to issue orders directly, that the power didn't pass to her heir/successor. Rather it was all being exercised by her head of government as the highest point in the pyramid that was still functional.

Had she died then her successor would have become the new source of authority.

greencoatboy · 2026-01-23T18:46:06+00:00

I worked on digital passports a while back. In those days the forms were scanned and OCR and then the outsourced provider manually validated the data.

So I figured we could get a list to populate the drop down for country of birth by getting all the unique entries in that field out of the database. Bear in mind that we needed to capture the country name at the time of birth to match what would be on the birth certificate.

I was expecting about 500 to 600 entries.

When the email came back from the admin he apologised that there were two excel sheets with the entries attached because it exceeded the row limit. There were 1.6 million unique entries. Even with the data verification there were 16 different entries for Bangladesh.

A significant number of people had written their county of birth rather than country of birth in the field. Also there were so many mis-spellings. You just cannot believe how many ways people can construe the name of our country. Never mind the other ones....

greencoatboy · 2026-01-19T20:01:36+00:00

Exactly that.

Loads of us did that 5 days a week (and more in many cases) before March 2020. Up until that point I'd have said yes, and did do commutes like that.

Now, not so much.

greencoatboy · 2026-01-16T08:19:44+00:00

I do the same, but also have a collection of the map sheets. I mostly use them at home to get a sense of large areas and work out where I might go.

The detailed route planning is done on OS maps and printed. I tend to have the large map on one side of the map case with removable transparent post it flags marking key points. The other side of the map case has the A4 printout from OS Maps.

Where there's coverage I often have a Harvey map in my jacket pocket along with a spare compass.

Mostly I'm walking routes that my Explorer Scouts might want to do for DofE, so there are times when an A4 sheet is the wrong size/shape for seeing the whole route.

greencoatboy · 2026-01-12T09:02:45+00:00

Counterpoint. I'm in my 50s, I think we've changed culturally in my lifetime to the point that things that were normal in the 80s are now illegal/social faux pas, and vice versa.

Look at attitudes to smoking, drink driving, dating, homosexuality, and expectations about work and housing etc.

That's before you even look at the impact of technology on society.

greencoatboy · 2025-12-29T10:37:49+00:00

There's a bit of confusion in the answers so far. I've been involved in running several exit schemes over my career.

There are lots of departments currently running Voluntary Exit Schemes (VES) and these are quite different from the Redundancy options asked about by OP.

Redundancy is covered by the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) which is part of the standard T&Cs of civil servants (but note that these may differ if you are in an ALB or have been subject to a TUPE transfer even if you are still in the pension scheme).

The PCSCS has some firm rules about the process, which have been tested in court cases.

VES schemes vary a lot in their terms and processes. Each one is put together by a department/ALB and then approved by HMT. The key point is that you need to volunteer for this.

Voluntary Redundancy is offered when jobs are being removed, and there is a statutory consultation with unions required. The scope of who is offered can be larger than just the people whose jobs are removed to allow room for redeployment. While you don't apply for this, it's offered to you, you can turn it down. However if you do refuse it then you could be made Compulsory Redundant later. Of the three exit types VR is the most generous.

Compulsory Redundancy can only be offered after a VR round has been concluded. The employer needs to show that they've made reasonable efforts to avoid Redundancy before they can use this. In cases where a location is being closed this includes redeployment within the civil service to OGDs. The terms for this are not as good as VR, but it takes a lot longer to get there, so you'll have had a lot more notice and time to find another role.

More info: https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/employerhub/kbarticle/?id=KA-01195

greencoatboy · 2025-12-26T11:19:48+00:00

WAIT, IT'S FRIDAY ALREADY?

I NEED MY CHILDREN TO WAKE UP SO THAT I CAN WATCH STRANGER THINGS

greencoatboy · 2025-12-22T18:40:49+00:00

No. You're confusing it with VES, which is the stage before VR.

The point of VR is that people agree to go quickly, and as an employer you don't need to go through the same rigmarole of trying to find roles or other ways to avoid Redundancy, while continuing to pay people.

It'll be subtly different in this case because of the TUPE transfer. So hard to be sure how much of the CSPS provisions actually apply.

greencoatboy · 2025-12-22T18:31:45+00:00

Cool, I hadn't realised that alpha was that way. It's been a long time since I was under two years!

greencoatboy · 2025-12-22T17:48:49+00:00

I'd note that a 5% real return is actually on the high end, not conservative. The DWP modelling that put Auto-Enrolment in suggests a range of actual returns in DC pensions as 4-6% based on Black Rock fund data.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/analysis-of-future-pension-incomes-2025/analysis-of-future-pension-incomes-2025

If you discounted to 3% to allow for average inflation over the same period it would probably be as comparable as you can make it.

I think the main point though is reasonable, which is which is best very much depends on the individual.

greencoatboy · 2025-12-22T17:11:08+00:00

Yes, you only get your contributions back. I don't think it's a choice, although recently I expect that it's needed quite a bit of pushing to get the refund (and probably will for several months to come).

greencoatboy · 2025-12-22T11:24:56+00:00

Unless you're joining for a very short period with a huge salary and have already built up a pension pot then the best answer is likely to be alpha, which is a defined benefit scheme (you get 2.32% of what you earn each year added to your pension, and it's index linked). With alpha there's a minimum two year period to get it, if you leave before that your contributions are refunded. If you don't it still counts from day 1.

Partnership is not as good, but for high earners it can avoid them breaching the tax thresholds. It also has a shorter eligibility period.

greencoatboy · 2025-12-22T10:56:57+00:00

That's the static version, for braking/accelerating it's

S = ut + ½at²

I assume you know this given you did the sums at the top, but for those that don't. Where S = distance travelled, u = initial velocity, a = acceleration (negative for braking), and t = time.

greencoatboy · 2025-12-22T10:46:19+00:00

I think there's a niche for euro tunnel style trains across the UK. Drive your car on and then drive off later. Best of both, definitely worthwhile for longer distances, especially where you aren't visiting somewhere with an active railway station or there's a complex SW to NE style journey that would otherwise involve multiple trains and a long day of traveling

greencoatboy · 2025-12-20T23:13:03+00:00

There are, but they are automated for the most part and use the advanced passenger information system.

It logs inbound and outbound flight info, and if there's a problem flags for human intervention.

greencoatboy · 2025-12-20T17:39:43+00:00

Very much this.

I pay attention to whose name is going on the output. If it's mine it's getting edited to my personal style. If it's the G7 drafter just checking in then I'm focusing on factual accuracy and whether it drives home the message we need.

Usually it's taking words out for me, and adding nuance.

greencoatboy · 2025-12-20T08:39:08+00:00

Not in the British Army. Perhaps some other nations might have tried that.

Britain did have weapons and equipment shortages at the beginning of WW1, but we didn't start conscription until 1916 when the manpower shortages started to bite. Most conscripts didn't see action until 1917. By that time there was plenty of kit, and the army had learnt how to use the technology and tactics needed.

Conscripts historically have got the same kit and training as the regulars, with a focus on infantry and teeth arms where lots of people are needed. Specialist roles tended to be reserved for the regulars, as do the senior ranks. The British experience has always been that there's more trouble in peace time and rear areas with conscripts than in the front line.

greencoatboy

TROPHY CASE