PUBLIC SERVANT? NO, THANK YOU!!!




Unpredicted developments for the wider public sector caused by the massive departure of employees and executives, either due to early retirement or mainly through resigning.

In an effort to understand the reasons behind these departures that has brought many state organizations in a dreadful condition due to grave personnel deficiencies, we asked the opinion of two employees: Dimitra Karageorgopoulou, 46, former employee of a social security organization and Vangelis Theodorakis, 42, former employee of a municipality company.



“They called me a rat” says Vangelis Theodorakis

“I didn’t have to try much. To be exact it never annoyed me. As soon as I finished high school, I found a job as a municipality sweeper. I wasn’t raised on cushions so it wasn’t difficult for me. I begun to like it. My duty was to keep the streets clean and it made me happy to see them tidy. I cleaned everything. Under cars and motorcycles. I polished it all, I tell you! Then they started making fun of me. They called me a geek, a rat and similar things. I was confused. I took up a job, got paid for it and wanted to be good at it because it was better than to fail at it. When things got tough, I asked for a transfer. I went to garbage collecting, then to gardeners and so on. The same situation everywhere. Finally, I gave up and found my peace of mind. They’re all pathetic”.



“I was a bad public servant”Dimitra Karageorgopoulou confesses.

“I was a young girl and I felt insecurity oppressing me. I thought I would get away from it only if I was employed in the public sector. I don’t know where this was coming from. Maybe from my parents. I really don’t know. When I was appointed I calmed down. But before I get the chance to feel happy, I realized that I would spend my whole life working in an indifferent job with no creativity and satisfaction. If I was lucky I would escape from this cage in three decades. I panicked but in a different way this time. As if I was buried in a grave. I started hating my colleagues although it wasn’t their fault. Then I became cynical. I didn’t give a damn and the time I was spending at work was like it never existed the moment I left the workplace. I started to hate myself, and also the people I was supposed to serve. I was a bad servant. Today, reflecting on my behavior I realize I was punishing innocent people, taking revenge for my own misery. I wish I could ask for their forgiveness. Since I resigned, I begun understanding many things about myself.

Now, nothing comes easy but I am not a spoiled child anymore. I won my self-respect. Every effort I make, makes me happy. I’m sure I’ll manage.”




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