I wrote an article previously about the appeal (the positive aspects) of being a civil engineer in the public sector.
Here, I’d like to take the opposite approach and write about the “dark side” of being a civil engineer in public service—specifically, the aspects I don’t like. Of course, things vary depending on the government office and department, so I’d appreciate it if you could take this with a grain of salt, thinking, “Oh, so that’s how it is in some places.”
We are assuming a city of roughly the same size as a "core city."
The Downsides of Being a Civil Engineering Civil Servant
There are certainly some commonalities among larger organizations, whether public or private. The first half covers civil servants in general, while the second half focuses on civil engineers.
・I can't develop my skills because I'm constantly being transferred.
Typically, personnel transfers occur every two to four years, and it’s not uncommon for job responsibilities to change just as drastically as when switching jobs. If you find yourself back to square one every time you’re transferred—no matter how much you study—it’s only natural to feel a sense of helplessness and futility. Personally, though, I’m happy when I get reassigned. I don’t think the skills I’ve developed are meaningless, and I believe that “knowledge is an asset no one can take away from you,” so I want to keep building on it step by step.
・The departments I want to transfer to are gradually disappearing
Every year there’s a survey on transfer preferences, but as I’ve spent more time at the government office and come to understand its inner workings better, the departments I actually want to work in are gradually disappearing. It’s strange, considering I joined the office with so much hope and dreams… I guess that just goes to show that every department has its own “dark side.”
・There are employees who do not work because there are no layoffs and their job security is guaranteed.
I don’t think there are any employees who don’t work at all, but there are certainly quite a few who are underqualified and have an extremely light workload, or who do a sloppy job. I was particularly surprised by an older guy nearing retirement—who, of course, couldn’t use a computer, but couldn’t even operate a copier. Even when you try to teach them, they just can’t get it. Their colleagues end up having to pick up the slack (though I suppose it’s much the same in the private sector, too).
・There are many people who are against civil servants. They’ve become a punching bag for the public.
The intense backlash against civil servants these days is really out of the ordinary. I get the feeling that more and more people think they can say whatever they want to civil servants. When you think about it calmly, a situation where a specific profession has such a large number of detractors is clearly abnormal. In the real world, revealing your profession can sometimes lead people to think, “Oh, they’re a decent person,” which brings a sense of relief and trust. But especially online, you often see thoughtless comments from detractors. It’s really tough to have people who are against your profession.
・We're passing work back and forth with other departments
Even though there is a division of administrative responsibilities, there are many cases where it’s unclear which department is in charge. The reality is that people are reluctant to take on these tasks because doing so would increase their workload. Few managers take a holistic view of the organization’s best interests. Yet, they often increase the workload of other departments for the sake of their own department’s convenience or impose overly strict adherence to rules. It’s Parkinson’s First Law, isn’t it? Why is the relationship between departments so strained?
・I'm always cleaning up after someone else
I’m sure there are various factors at play, but I feel like I’m always cleaning up after someone else (I know this might sound like I’m getting a big head, but I really feel this way, so please let me write it down). It’s staff members who were involved in that work in the past, my predecessors, colleagues, contractors, and so on. It’s reached a point where I can’t even say, “I make mistakes too, so we’re all in the same boat.”… I think this is something you have to be prepared for as long as you work in an organization.
・Salaries are low when you're just starting out
Young employees don’t make much. Since they get raises every year, by the time they’re over 30, their salary reaches a level where they can feel somewhat secure—but when they think about the future, they can’t afford to live lavishly. With the current work-style reforms, they can’t even count on overtime pay, so I imagine young employees with less than 10 years of experience are in a pretty tight spot.
・Overtime pay is not paid in full
Even in this day and age, there are still many government offices that don’t pay overtime. I think there are plenty of offices where overtime isn’t paid for work past 7:00 p.m. That’s just the culture of those offices and departments. It’s not something that changes overnight. At my office, we’re now able to log overtime, but there are still managers who dislike it, and the culture of working unpaid overtime persists.
・Flood control standby, disaster response, and emergency response
We have to implement emergency procedures whenever a weather warning is issued. For some departments, it’s not easy to plan trips even on days off. Also, even under normal circumstances, we have maintenance and safety systems in place to manage civil engineering infrastructure. My cell phone number is on file with civil engineering departments, the main office night watch, the police, and the fire department, so when I’m on call, I get calls even in the middle of the night. There’s absolutely no privacy or personal life to speak of (angry). Overtime pay is only for the time spent responding to incidents on-site. This kind of “self-sacrifice for the public good” is expected of us.
・Requires a wide range of specialized skills
Since I’m in a “technical” role, I’m expected to possess specialized skills. Naturally, planning, design, cost estimation, and supervision all require specialized knowledge. The dilemma is that, even though I’m expected to have a wide range of specialized skills, I’m often transferred to a completely different field right away. This can sometimes cause inconvenience for my colleagues and clients. I’m sure there are many times when I feel frustrated by this situation.
・The financial stakes are high, so a strong sense of responsibility is required
Since civil engineering projects involve large sums of money, the risks are also significant if mistakes are made. For example, there was an incident in Hitachi-Ota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, where a design error in the sewer system resulted in 400 million yen in additional construction costs. I believe the design specifications provided by a city employee were incorrect. In that case, the costs were covered by cutting the salaries of all city employees. Even beyond the design and construction of projects, mistakes in obtaining development permits or construction approvals can expose individuals to the risk of being sued for substantial damages.
Design Flaw Causes Sewage to Overflow from Sewer System, Resulting in 400 Million Yen Loss; City to Cover Deficit by Cutting Salaries of “All City Employees”… City Council Approves Measure : Yomiuri Shimbun
What do people find annoying about it?
I just jotted down a bunch of things that came to mind—I wonder what everyone else is thinking?
Someone posted this on X, so I’m going to quote it here. The discussion continues in the replies.
Please feel free to use this as a reference.
There are plenty of good things about it, too.
I really let off some steam (lol)
There are plenty of things I don't like about it, but there are still people who don't quit, so I guess there must be even more good points, and it's not something I can't put up with. Well, the very concept of "work" is a tough one in modern society, isn't it?
I wrote about the good points in this article below.
I think it’s a good idea to work while looking for the little things that are nice or that you like.
See you later.
