A friend of mines wife ...

[col craddock]

is a civil servent. She works at HMRC. Today at her office everyone celebrated the retirement of a colleague.For two hours this afternoon the entire department had food and drink and no work, Question.. Why am I, a tax payer, paying for this

[daffy654]

Because you have no choice.

[meglet]

So civil servants aren't allowed a couple of hours to celebrate a colleague who could well have spent years in their post?
How grumpy are you?! Civil servants get good holidays but aren't at all well oaid compared to an equivalent role in the private sector.

[funnygirl]

We do the same thing at my office, for all kinds of reasons.

Mind you I don't work for HMRC.

And I wouldn't expect anything less!!

[annie0000]

If you think that the same does not go on across all goverment and council offices, then you are deluded. There is probably more money wasted on bosses having golfing lunches. These celebrations would be seen as something that keeps staff motivated and working hard the rest of the time. Not allowing staff to have these events is, in the end, counterproductive. Staff morale dips and productivity drops. Personally, I have always worked in the private sector where they have the same kind of things (never been to one for two hours though) and if you think that you are not paying for it in some way or another (increased costs etc.) then you are sadly mistaken.

[sense4all]

So they confiscated the booze from someone ... I wonder if the sent environmental health out to round up the buffet!lol

[gonzo00]

don't think they would be eating too much....what with all that good confiscated coke they would have been snorting!

[EngTeach]

In my school (NYC) We are only allowed to do this after hours. Not on meeting or lunch time. However, I know this is not the norm in other schools, Our morale is very low. The principal "gave" a holiday do in December, changed the date a few times, made it after school at 4 (we get out at 3) and then was pi$$ed when people could not attend.