Low morale in Whitehall - staff can't get no satisfaction

Low morale in Whitehall - staff can't get no satisfaction

Staff surveys produced by a number of government departments in Whitehall have been released by the Cabinet Office under the Freedom of Information Act.

They reveal that in the Home Office and the Education, Environment and Transport departments more than one in eight officials report bullying or harassment. And only one in 10 civil servants in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confidence in their senior managers, according to one of the staff satisfaction surveys.

The survey of 75,000 DWP staff - well over half of all officials - shows that one-third of staff do not believe their working environment is "healthy and safe" and 59% do not believe it is well managed. A spokesman for the Public and Commercial Services Union said: "It shows that on a number of levels staff morale is low and that's largely due to job cuts in the DWP."

Whitehall staff surveys reveal low morale and little faith in managers (The Guardian, 5 April 2006)