h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

About a week ago I was told to go to a seminar regarding some sort of job performance and achievement programme that is slowly being introduced here in Germany for public service workers ... I bet that the people in England and the US are shocked that this is just coming into practise now. Have to start somewhere, perhaps!

Over the course of the day we had to work on up to 5 goals that we have to present to our superiors ... give each a percentage and in the end be given a number of points ... each point is then equivalent to money later next year ...

I was the only non-German there and I already work on this basis ... I know that in England and the US, it doesn't really matter what certificate or qualification you have, if you can't do the job then you are asked to walk! Not so in Germany ... especially the civil servants (teachers especially) who remain in their posts until they drop dead - even if they can't teach or hate children! (I guess you know my feelings about teacher here - even though I have friends who are teachers and agree with me on this point): Teacher = Demi-Gods in Germany!

So, what I'm really saying is ... it is taken for granted that up until now, I did the minimal amount of work possible to keep my job (a real cheek!). Maybe this is true of a civil servant working in the town hall! I've done much more that is expected of me this year ... and it doesn't count, which I think is rather unfair - I know ... life is unfair and then you die!!

Also if one of my goals next year doesn't turn out the way it should, I would get fewer points - don't forget - points = money! So, basically I will not be willing to try new things (stopping creativity and spontaneous thinking) because if it doesn't work I will be penalised.

Because I won't be awarded points for the work that I present this year, I have purposely only published 4 buttons on the Website which I designed and put together (extra work and not part of my job description). My goal is to, between January and March next year, publish the following 5 buttons (shhh, already finished but don't tell) then I get points. Even though the buttons were finished two weeks ago ... now, I ask you, where is the fairness and logic behind all this?

Ah, the old "what gets measured gets managed" syndrome again.

I'm a civil servant too (shh, that's almost a dirty secret this week ), but I quite like our Performance Appraisal sysem, based on setting out goals for the coming year. But then, the monetary difference between getting a Box 1 (outstanding performer) and a Box 3 (satisfactory) is about £100, for the whole year, so it's not that great an incentive!

I'm sorry, I ahven't a clue what you're talking about. I've never heard of this before, never seen it practised anywhere - is it legal?

It has to do with the TvöD (can't translate that, sorry) some sort of new Tarif ... I also find the idea great ... but there are many problems - as mentioned above!

At the moment 1% of our salary is placed in safe keeping ... then it should be divided out according to the point system ... don't you think that is will eventually become more ... 250 Euro for an incentive is not that much ... but I it increasing, don't you?

I have no idea, to be honest.