Discs loss agency in total collapse: claim

May 28 2008 by William Green, The Journal

THE Government agency that lost 25 million personal records from a North East office is in total collapse with staff having no confidence in managers, it was last night claimed.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance campaign group expressed serious concerns about HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as it emerged that more than half of its staff questioned in an internal survey said they had no confidence in senior bosses.

The majority of workers do not feel the department is well managed or that senior bosses provide effective leadership – news that comes after two discs containing 25 million personal records disappeared from its Washington office last November.

Nearly four-fifths of staff felt the HMRC was changing for the worse after it was created following the merger of the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise.

Half of the 20,062 staff questioned warned that integration had not been good for customers in the survey, which was conducted days after it emerged the personal records had gone missing.

Some 70% said changes had not been managed well, while nearly half did not think any action would be taken to address concerns or that it was safe to speak up.

A majority did not feel secure in their jobs, while 49% claimed they were not getting the chance to improve skills.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “When the agency responsible for crucial tax and benefit transactions affecting every person in the country has rock-bottom morale and is chronically mismanaged, it is a serious cause for concern.

“HMRC’s dreadful management, unwieldy structures and demoralised staff have resulted in the public being severely let down time and again.

“It is shocking that staff don’t even expect things to get any better.

“This is a crucial agency in total collapse – and it risks doing serious harm to the rest of us who have no choice but to rely on it.”

Regional TUC secretary Kevin Rowan said the survey was an indication of a dysfunctional workplace and suggested the creation of HMRC could have been much better handled.

The PCS union, which represents public workers, said: “The staff survey is a stark illustration of the impact that job cuts, office closures and the introduction of lean working practices have had on the morale of the workforce in HMRC. They have already cut 13,000 jobs and are looking to cut 25,000 by 2011.”

A union spokesman added that staff were committed to providing an excellent service, but warned it was difficult to see how they could if jobs continued to be slashed.

A spokesman for HMRC said the survey was done within days of the row erupting over the missing discs with staff feeling the impact of Press criticism, but changes had been made in how HMRC was managed in light of concerns in the survey.

Workers delivering damning report

WORKERS at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have delivered a damning verdict on the organisation.

The HMRC conducts national staff surveys and its latest poll, held last November, has shown growing concerns.

Some 52% did not have confidence in senior managers compared to 21% who did. Just 15% felt they provided effective leadership, while 57% slated bosses on the issue.

Worryingly, 58% said the depart- ment was not well managed compared to 15% who felt it was in the survey of 20,062 staff – 63% of those invited to take part.

Only 32% were proud to work for the agency, with 33% unhappy – which compares to a poll last June that found 39% were proud and 23% were not.

Some 41% were dissatisfied with their job while 59% would not recommend it as a good place to work.

More than two-thirds were not satisfied with the department, compared to 13% who were – a fall from 21% in the previous survey.

Just 15% agreed that integra- tion of HMRC was good for customers, with half saying it was not.

Some 10% felt change was well managed, with 70% registering an opposing view.

And 78% felt the department was changing for the worse compared to 16% who said it was improving.

However, the vast majority of staff took pride in delivering great performance, with 97% saying they behaved professionally and with integrity.