r/civilservice

I got taken off a reserve list, had a call on the 27/04 by 31 job was added to my check account, started pec same day. Pec finish on the 15/05 got my start date today. Hope this helps I know the feeling of looking for answers and not finding it or people asking you to go check on other post. Good luck to anyone still waiting.

Not being cynical - genuinely asking because I think about it more than I'd like to admit. The pension is real, the security matters, and some of the work is genuinely meaningful. But the pay gap at certain grades is hard to ignore.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some perspective because I’m currently sitting at home feeling like I’m losing my mind.

I recently onboarded into an operational delivery/admin role at the MoJ. Like many others, I waited months for my security clearance and background checks, holding onto the idea that this would look amazing on my CV and be a stable, professional milestone. I also hold a Master’s degree, so I was excited to finally get started.

Fast forward 5 weeks, and I am absolutely miserable. Today was an absolute endurance test and I had to fight the urge to just walk out mid-afternoon.

The reality on the ground is so different from what was promised. The office culture feels like a cliquey high school. My desk was strategically moved to an isolated back room under heavy surveillance, and the daily atmosphere is filled with grown adults gossiping about tabloids and local baristas and calling people fat and body shaming them.

Worse than that, the training environment feels borderline abusive. I’m walking on eggshells every day. Today, I made a routine data entry mistake on an SJP case (which I'm still learning), and instead of being guided, I was met with a blunt, accusatory interrogation by a senior colleague who has been projecting his bad moods onto the room all week. It has made me terrified to even ask basic questions.

Everyone else in this office has been here for 20+ years, which makes me gaslight myself into thinking I'm the problem, or that I'm "too sensitive" and just need a thicker skin. But my gut and my body are physically rejecting this place. I haven't even received my first paycheck yet, but the thought of walking back through those doors tomorrow fills me with pure dread.

Has anyone else experienced this severe "onboarding shock" with the Civil Service or MoJ? Is high attrition normal this early on? Am I crazy for wanting to call in sick tomorrow, hand in my notice, and just protect my sanity?

Any advice or reality checks would be massively appreciated.

I’ve applied for a HMRC Compliance Caseworker role and was reading the part about visiting taxpayers’ or business premises for investigations/compliance checks.

For anyone who’s done the role, are these ever dangerous situations, or are they generally routine/safe? Are you usually on your own when visiting businesses, or supported by colleagues and risk assessments where needed?

The role sounds interesting overall, but that part of the job description made me a bit unsure, so I’d appreciate honest experiences.

Hi everyone,
I’m currently an EO and I’ve finally been invited to an SEO interview after applying for hundreds of jobs. I really want this opportunity, but now I’m starting to doubt myself and feel nervous about whether I’m good enough.
I would really appreciate any advice on how to prepare properly, build confidence, and perform well in the interview. What helped you crack your SEO interview? Any tips, resources, or experiences would mean a lot.
Thank you.

No, none of us on here know how likely you are to be offered a role once on the list.
All the relevant information can be found in the email you received stating you’d been placed on it.
You can literally search ‘reserve list’ in this sub and find hundreds of examples of people all asking the same thing, and being given the same answer.
Common sense really does go a long way.

Has anyone ever been in this situation recently have a provisional offer for the fraud officer role currently doing PECs, and I have 50 days left on my Visa, Civil service are currently tly considering my eligibility to be sponsored, how long does it take from PECs to be issued another COS, would it be within the 50 days

I am looking for some objective reality checks on my manager’s behavior. I am autistic, and I am seriously starting to question my own perception of events because of how chaotic and stressful my workplace has become.
I recently started a role in a UK public sector department. I am highly qualified, and I dress in polished, structured executive-style workwear. My manager has been stuck at the same entry level grade for five years and is constantly dropping threats that she is "leaving in three months," though she never does. She is also heavily overweight and openly struggles with an intense, volatile relationship with her own body, food, and gym routine.

Since my first week, she has displayed a pattern of behavior that feels entirely unprofessional and targeted:

In my first week, I was doing great, picking up the systems quickly, and naturally bonding/chatting with the wider team on the main floor. She randomly stepped in and forced me and my trainer (Charlie) into a small, isolated room at the back, claiming it would "help me concentrate better."

Despite claiming the room was for concentration, last week she repeatedly burst in to cause total chaos. She has been screaming insults at my trainer (calling him a "dickhead" and a "pussy"), squirting hand sanitizer all over his laptop, and literally trying to staple his clothes together while we are working. It completely fried my concentration on Friday, causing me to make mistakes on the Libra system, which left my trainer visibly frustrated and stressed.

She frequently body-scans me. When I eat a normal sandwich for lunch, she stares coldly and goes completely silent. Recently, I wheeled my chair over to her desk to ask a work question; she completely ignored my face, stared coldly and judgmentally down at my legs (I was wearing a dress and tights), and looked visibly miserable.

She regularly brings wildly inappropriate topics into the workspace. Last week, she burst in while I was training to disrupt us and ask my trainer to look at her hair because it was "sticking out at the sides," completely bypassing me. She also openly announced to the room, "I'm so jealous of girls who have regular periods, I've not had one for months."

A senior manager from another department (Dan) walked in recently and told me I should try out for an upcoming court assistant promotion. My manager immediately hijacked the conversation, shouting over me to ask what it pays and what grade it is, completely striking me out of the interaction. She also made a sarcastic comment to my trainer about me looking "smart enough to be the manager."

She has openly threatened to slap my trainer Charlie in the office when he’s been trying to train me

On Friday, my brain was so exhausted from navigating this environment that my performance slipped. My trainer told me to "get some sleep this weekend." I am planning to arrive early at 8:30 AM on Wednesday to tell my trainer privately that I am moving my desk setup back out to the main open-plan floor with the rest of the team to protect my focus.

Am I overreacting to this, or is this active workplace bullying, sabotage, and harassment? How should I handle her reaction when she sees I’ve moved my desk back out to the open floor?

External applicant for SEO role. Applied for a role that I was really confident about and tried very hard on the application (days of reading advice here and online, drafting and redrafting my answers) but just received an email to say I’ve been unsuccessful and didn’t pass the sift.

Email says feedback won’t be given and I’m a bit stumped on what I should do differently next time around.

Genuinely thought I covered all the essential criteria, used real and clear examples with figures and specifics for results and wrote in STAR method.

Thank you in advance!

I am 5w+4 days and wondered when it would be best to tell my manager I’m pregnant. I have to go into the office once a week but I am finding at the moment I am so exhausted and whenever I commute I get stomach cramps, I also have started to feel fairly nauseous and wonder whether it’s worth telling work soon so that I can take time off if needed. The policy on my department is that if you ever need sick leave because of pregnancy related reasons, it doesn’t go on your record. Also, it might be beneficial to work from home during the first trimester. My only difficulty at the moment is I’ve just got a promotion on the team and start in a few weeks however, it shouldn’t really effect anything as I’m still entitled to maternity leave. Also, if I request is my manager allowed to keep it a secret? Some advice please :)

Hi everyone,
I wanted to ask for some advice from people who work in the Civil Service or have been in a similar situation.
I recently got offered a summer internship with HMCTS under the Ministry of Justice. It’s a temporary 3-month role starting on 22 June, and they said I need to complete at least 10 weeks out of the 12 weeks.
At the same time, I’ve also applied for the Compliance Caseworker role at HMRC, which is a permanent position. I’m still waiting to hear back, but I was thinking ahead in case I get an offer and the cohort starts around September 2026 (correct me if I am wrong), which could overlap with the internship.
If that happens, would I be allowed to leave the internship early to join the permanent HMRC role? Also, could leaving the internship before completing the full period negatively affect the HMRC job offer or my future in the Civil Service?
Would really appreciate any advice or experiences from others. Thanks!

I interviewed for a national HEO role within Change Systems Department in HMPPS and just got notified that I am on reserve list.

Are the chances higher if national?

Any advice would help as I gave it my all in this interview preparation

Hi all,

I’m sorry to bring down the mood by sharing my story and asking for advice, but I really feel like I need to.

I’ve been a work coach for a little over a year. I started in early 2025. The first few months after training were okay — we were getting into summer, and there was a lot of work I could do to start helping people. But as the days got shorter and the work dried up, things got a lot darker.

I had several mini anxiety episodes at work that lasted a couple of weeks at a time, but they always resolved themselves. My mind tends to handle stress by focusing it onto anything other than the actual stressor. But my claimants’ situations started becoming more and more upsetting. I won’t go into their stories, because that wouldn’t be fair to them, but there was a real mix of people who were struggling deeply or who had done terrible things. I had to carry out quite a few six-point plans and call ambulances or the police more times than I expected.

Then it happened. I had a really bad call with a claimant. I felt useless, exhausted, sad, and scared. The person was manipulative and very upsetting, and on the bus ride home I just broke down. I couldn’t stop crying.

Over Christmas, I managed to pull myself together, and when I was away from work staying with my partner, I felt so much better. But once I came back, I was only able to manage a couple more weeks.

I ended up in the emergency room having the worst panic attack of my life. The psychiatrist there said I was completely overwhelmed. Needless to say, we’re now five months on, and although I’ve had good weeks and bad weeks, I still haven’t been able to return to work properly. I’ve tried and managed a few weeks at a time, but I always get sick again.

I have no idea what to do. I’m from an impoverished area, and this job felt like my big chance. Now I feel like I’ve blown it. I asked about a managed move, but my boss said it could take years. There doesn’t seem to be any way to amend my duties, and at this point I just feel lost.

Honestly, any advice or commiseration would help at this point. Everyone in my office seems so tough, like this kind of thing doesn’t affect them.

PS: My boss has been amazing and very supportive throughout all of this, as has the company. I just wanted to make that clear so there’s no confusion.

I’ve just been put on a reserve list for a role I really want, but the uncertainty is making planning ahead a bit awkward. I’m looking at moving flats in the next couple of months, and I’ve heard plenty of stories about PECs/vetting taking ages once an offer finally comes through. If you change address in the middle of checks, does it massively complicate things or delay everything, or am I overthinking how strict the process is?

ABS statements available to download in portal from Capita.

Check carefully especially years of service in each pension scheme.

Mine was wrong, they have shaved 7 years off the final salary classic pension which was discontinued in 2022, which is when we were transferred into Alpha, they now state I joined Alpha in 2015, which means Classic, a final salary pension, is down 7 years, along with the lump sum.

I have proof of previous statements, kept thankfully.

Hi,

I have been applying to civil service for years now (about 7 I think!), but never make 1st sift! I have mainly applied for HEO level but also many lower roles in all sorts of departments but mainly UKHSA. I fit all the criteria & more and obviously tailor my statement to fit each role. I can complete NHS applications no problem so why can't I do these? I have read every bit of guidance I can find over the years. Any pointers before I finally give up?

I’m currently an SO Tax Consultant at HM Revenue and Customs, working in tax compliance with line management responsibility for caseworkers. I’m starting to think seriously about my next career step and how to progress to Grade 7, but I’m feeling a bit stuck and would appreciate advice from others who’ve been through it.

I’m planning to apply for the Tax Specialist Programme (TSP) again after not getting through last year, but I’m also wondering whether progression to G7 through the tax compliance route is realistically possible without the TSP qualification, or if it just feels that way from where I’m sitting.

For those who’ve moved from SO to G7 in HMRC, particularly from tax compliance, did you progress through TSP or take a different route? I’d also be interested to hear whether other pathways such as policy, strategy, operational leadership or specialist roles are worth considering, and how much weight is placed on technical tax expertise versus leadership and management experience at G7 level.

Finally, if anyone has advice on the kinds of roles or experience that help strengthen progression prospects or tips for improving my chances with TSP this time around, as I’d really appreciate it. I enjoy the technical side of tax, but I also don’t want to feel like I’m waiting on one programme if there are other ways to build towards Grade 7.

Does anyone else feel like the 60% office attendance rule is basically becoming a hidden pay cut lately? With fuel prices climbing again and general cost of living pressures, commuting costs seem to be hitting harder than they did even a few months ago. It’s probably even more frustrating for people travelling in just to sit on Teams calls most of the day. Is anyone noticing people trying to economise office days more now, or just absorbing the extra cost?

Evening everyone.

New start form was put through on 13th and was on HRconnect on 14th. Within the email it said in order to get this month's wage, the bank details needed to be on by 15th at 5PM.

I am aware payroll cut off date for anything put through on HR connect (overtime, deputising etc) was either 12th or 13th, would anyone be able to confirm that the normal salary will get paid at the end of the month?