Appendix 3A - General Comments
"Workload has increased tremendously over the last two years.
Top management appear to be more interested in pennies than in providing a quality service to people who are vulnerable and at risk.
Top management have made little effort to learn and understand roles, difficulties and worries experienced daily by its ground floor staff who are dealing with sick, disabled, terminally ill, older people, those who are homeless, those at risk and traumatised others.
Top management as a consequence have no or little empathy with such staff mentioned above and are therefore unable to be sympathetic to the need for adequate finance/resources/staff and are unable to adequately educate/inform democratically elected Councillors, particularly those who have little or no experience in their areas."

"Why are there still two sets of conditions of service after more than 2 years."

"I would like to become a permanent member of staff rather than having to extend my temporary contract month by month."

"My line manager keeps me as well informed as they are. In my belief they are not well informed by their line manager (head of service)"

"My line manager is not kept informed!"

"Can [the head of service] and [director] please come out with the field workers and gain experience before they change our jobs.
I do receive good practical support from my [manager] as they were a field/ground worker and have not forgotten that we deal with the public."

"East Lothian Council have no idea how to deal with staff needs or the imbalances of workloads across the departments where good will hours are put in every month rather than overtime (if you get paid overtime?)
I think E.L.C. stands for East Lothian Charities!"

"Not enough acknowledgement of admin. support. Poor pay increases and little choice of training courses. I.T. is the only type of training. There is no facility for admin. to do courses such as social care which would allow them to progress to the 'professional' side rather than admin.- why? Too much emphasis is placed on what's in your job description when it comes to training. To allow admin. more choice doesn't mean a flood of admin. workers applying for courses, as most don't have a lot of interest in the ones available at the moment. There is no promotion prospects for [my department's] admin. within the admin. side of work, therefore, there is little motivation because there's nothing to work towards. Your job is secure with East Lothian Council mainly because unless you choose to leave, they're quite happy to let you sit in the same job until you retire.
Management are inconsistent at times, in their treatment of staff, which causes resentment. Information is given to workers if and when management feel like it, so admin. are left in the dark, sometimes even about things that directly affect us - we hear via 'the grapevine' which is poor management."

"Managers should be allowed to manage without interference from the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive should cease being a one man management team. I get the impression that ex-LRC employees are seen as an