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I wrote an article previously about the appeal (the positive aspects) of being a civil engineer in the public sector.<\/p>\n
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<\/figure>\nHere, I\u2019d like to take the opposite approach and write about the \u201cdark side\u201d of being a civil engineer in public service\u2014specifically, the aspects I don\u2019t like. Of course, things vary depending on the government office and department, so I\u2019d appreciate it if you could take this with a grain of salt, thinking, \u201cOh, so that\u2019s how it is in some places.\u201d<\/p>\n
We are assuming a city of roughly the same size as a \"core city.\"<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u30fbI can't develop my skills because I'm constantly being transferred.
\nTypically, personnel transfers occur every two to four years, and it\u2019s 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\u2019re transferred\u2014no matter how much you study\u2014it\u2019s only natural to feel a sense of helplessness and futility. Personally, though, I\u2019m happy when I get reassigned. I don\u2019t think the skills I\u2019ve developed are meaningless, and I believe that \u201cknowledge is an asset no one can take away from you,\u201d so I want to keep building on it step by step.<\/p>\n
\u30fbThe departments I want to transfer to are gradually disappearing
\nEvery year there\u2019s a survey on transfer preferences, but as I\u2019ve 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\u2019s strange, considering I joined the office with so much hope and dreams\u2026 I guess that just goes to show that every department has its own \u201cdark side.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u30fbThere are employees who do not work because there are no layoffs and their job security is guaranteed.
\nI don\u2019t think there are any employees who don\u2019t 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\u2014who, of course, couldn\u2019t use a computer, but couldn\u2019t even operate a copier. Even when you try to teach them, they just can\u2019t get it. Their colleagues end up having to pick up the slack (though I suppose it\u2019s much the same in the private sector, too).<\/p>\n
\u30fbThere are many people who are against civil servants. They\u2019ve become a punching bag for the public.
\nThe 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, \u201cOh, they\u2019re a decent person,\u201d which brings a sense of relief and trust. But especially online, you often see thoughtless comments from detractors. It\u2019s really tough to have people who are against your profession.<\/p>\n
\u30fbWe're passing work back and forth with other departments
\nEven though there is a division of administrative responsibilities, there are many cases where it\u2019s 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\u2019s best interests. Yet, they often increase the workload of other departments for the sake of their own department\u2019s convenience or impose overly strict adherence to rules. It\u2019s Parkinson\u2019s First Law, isn\u2019t it? Why is the relationship between departments so strained?<\/p>\n
\u30fbI'm always cleaning up after someone else
\nI\u2019m sure there are various factors at play, but I feel like I\u2019m always cleaning up after someone else (I know this might sound like I\u2019m getting a big head, but I really feel this way, so please let me write it down). It\u2019s staff members who were involved in that work in the past, my predecessors, colleagues, contractors, and so on. It\u2019s reached a point where I can\u2019t even say, \u201cI make mistakes too, so we\u2019re all in the same boat.\u201d\u2026 I think this is something you have to be prepared for as long as you work in an organization.<\/p>\n
\u30fbSalaries are low when you're just starting out
\nYoung employees don\u2019t make much. Since they get raises every year, by the time they\u2019re over 30, their salary reaches a level where they can feel somewhat secure\u2014but when they think about the future, they can\u2019t afford to live lavishly. With the current work-style reforms, they can\u2019t even count on overtime pay, so I imagine young employees with less than 10 years of experience are in a pretty tight spot.<\/p>\n
\u30fbOvertime pay is not paid in full
\nEven in this day and age, there are still many government offices that don\u2019t pay overtime. I think there are plenty of offices where overtime isn\u2019t paid for work past 7:00 p.m. That\u2019s just the culture of those offices and departments. It\u2019s not something that changes overnight. At my office, we\u2019re now able to log overtime, but there are still managers who dislike it, and the culture of working unpaid overtime persists.<\/p>\n
\u30fbFlood control standby, disaster response, and emergency response
\nWe have to implement emergency procedures whenever a weather warning is issued. For some departments, it\u2019s 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\u2019m on call, I get calls even in the middle of the night. There\u2019s 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 \u201cself-sacrifice for the public good\u201d is expected of us.<\/p>\n
\u30fbRequires a wide range of specialized skills
\nSince I\u2019m in a \u201ctechnical\u201d role, I\u2019m expected to possess specialized skills. Naturally, planning, design, cost estimation, and supervision all require specialized knowledge. The dilemma is that, even though I\u2019m expected to have a wide range of specialized skills, I\u2019m often transferred to a completely different field right away. This can sometimes cause inconvenience for my colleagues and clients. I\u2019m sure there are many times when I feel frustrated by this situation.<\/p>\n
\u30fbThe financial stakes are high, so a strong sense of responsibility is required I just jotted down a bunch of things that came to mind\u2014I wonder what everyone else is thinking?<\/p>\n Someone posted this on X, so I\u2019m going to quote it here. The discussion continues in the replies.
\nSince 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.
\nDesign Flaw Causes Sewage to Overflow from Sewer System, Resulting in 400 Million Yen Loss; City to Cover Deficit by Cutting Salaries of \u201cAll City Employees\u201d\u2026 City Council Approves Measure : Yomiuri Shimbun<\/a><\/p>\nWhat do people find annoying about it?<\/span><\/h2>\n
\nPlease feel free to use this as a reference.<\/p>\n