HM Courts & Tribunals Service Employee Reviews
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Beware
Administration Officer (Former Employee) - Birmingham - 9 July 2022
Indeed featured review
The most useful review selected by IndeedWhen I started the job the role was manageable and the atmosphere in the department good too. It was a mix of case work, calls and webchat and you were given the knowledge in training. Then the pandemic hit and the emphasis on quality of work was compromised as the department brought in temp staff who were just ask to take calls and had no knowledge of the product as they went through a crash course of training which was asking for trouble. I would get call takers messaging me about basics, which I received in my training but they obviously didn’t. As case loads went though the roof due to the pandemic a lot of pressure was put on the experienced staff to get cases through the door. Since the easing of lockdown, nothing has gone back to a steady ship and the majority of the workers are taking advantage, by coming in late and leaving early as they are friends with managers. You get your cliques who will be nice to your face but then talk behind your back. If you wish to progress, make sure you get in with the cliques as talented individuals will be passed over for promotion and people who have no knowledge, no people skills and blag their way through an interview from the help of certain managers. They claim there is a “blind recruitment” process but that’s only at the application stage. The waters are getting cold and an iceberg is in sight, unfortunately the ship is heading towards it.
Pros
need to have a long think about that
Cons
lack of progression and bad pay
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Not a good place to work
Administrator (Current Employee) - London - 6 July 2022
Stressful environment. Awful pay. Poor career paths. Poorly managed. The staff that actually deliver the service are not considered, their option's are not taken on board when decisions are made.
Pros
Hours are good for parents, good annual leave
Cons
Low wages, low staff morale, poor procedures, poorly organised, poor management
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Insights into HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Areas for improvement
- Energising work tasks
- Sense of belonging
- Support from manager
An energised and worthwhile work environment
Audio Typist/Secretary (Former Employee) - Holborn - 25 June 2022
This is a fascinating place to be. Some of the casework was topical and working with brilliant legal minds was highly stimulating. The law has still a way to go to achieve greater diversity at a more senior level. The work is demanding and exhausting but that is why it is worth being a part of even for a few months.
Pros
Great Central location and very functional office
Cons
Temporary pay conditions a little unpredictable
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Bad management
Court Associate (Former Employee) - England - 7 June 2022
As above really. Management very poor. Need to work a lot harder to be a better organisation and not to push staff into moving to other government departments.
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brutus dagger
Administration Assistant (Current Employee) - Salford - 1 June 2022
working at spy hq being watched by people who cant do their jobs always ready to stab you in the back to get promoted ok working enviroment best to stay neutral
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Not the place to be if you want to progress.
Clerk to HM’s Judges (Former Employee) - London, Greater London - 25 May 2022
Mostly decent people who are always willing to help. Management are totally in their own world and there is no opportunity to develop and progress. Some judges are very snobby but most are lovely and destroy the stereotype. A good first job out of uni nonetheless.
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Productive and rewarding
Legal Advisor (Former Employee) - West midlands - 6 May 2022
Substantive training and opportunity to progress. Work is interesting and varied. Require technical ability as well as legal knowledge and experience.
Pros
Flexible working, career progression
Cons
Busy
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Constant Political Backbiting
Finance Business Partner (Former Employee) - Manchester - 28 April 2022
Narcissistic managers, love to play divide and conquer politics, set you up to fail, play favourites. HMCTS was an okay place to work but some of the managers there were narcissistic and a nightmare to deal with. I recommend to apply and if you get a horrible manager, request to move teams ASAP or find another job. No one ever has to put up with abuse from their workplace. Never forget your worth and value as a person.
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Okay place to work if you are looking to step up to something else
Admin Officer (Current Employee) - Stoke-on-Trent - 22 April 2022
Most of the time I feel positive working here and I feel like I get the support when I need it. It does give me a sense of belonging and I do not feel to overworked. There are times I feel stressed and heavy work loads but this is just the nature of the job. Some of the people are very nice and will smile at you and be positive no matter the situation however there are a handfull of people who are toxic which makes me want to have minimal contact with them.
Pros
Sense of belonging and purpose
Cons
A few toxic people who are set to ruin your day.
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Amazing co-workers, awful management
Court Usher (Former Employee) - Wolverhampton - 8 March 2022
I learnt a lot working here, like how the job role works and how it is relatively enjoyable and interesting. Equally, I also learnt that the management work in their own cliques, and if you are not a part of said clique then you will quite frankly never get anywhere. My co-workers were some of the best people that I have ever met in my life, and I genuinely wish all of them every success for the future but with a future that is hopefully far away from HMCTS. The team leaders behind each individual section were friendly, incredible people, but there was definitely a clique culture in some sections along with blatant discrimination against members of staff that were not full-time and instead working for an agency, even though agency staff put in an equal amount of work to everyone else. Additionally, it is safe to say the overall management above everyone were the main problem, as they blatantly singled out agency staff and had their favourites from the get go, and they would also hide information and only share with who they deemed appropriate i.e. The cliques. (The cliques for the record aren't too prevalent, but it is 100% noticeable and it is quite easy to tell who fits in). Finally, I will mention that along with hidden information come many, many lies as an attempt to mitigate any outcry from other staff members, which I noticed happen to others and myself with my final day working here revolving around a lie that was fabricated to get rid of me from the workplace. TLDR; If you don't fit in one of managements cliques or work for an agency, then do not bother working -
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Jobs at HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Interesting work but poor salary
Admin Officer (Former Employee) - Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear - 17 February 2022
The work is very interesting as you see the legal world from the inside. It's good to work with the judiciary and other legal colleagues. One of the bigger courts best.
Pros
Flexi time
Cons
Working culture is old fashioned
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Working at Chelmsford County Court was fairly absymal.
Listing officer (Former Employee) - Chelmsford - 30 January 2022
The managment were unsupportive, and did their best to not interact with new members of staff. The Listing Team Leader was especially unproffesional and rude. There is no carreer progression or work culture. It seems as though people come to this office to whither and die. If you need some work for a few months, take this job! Just know what to expect..
Pros
Not many
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Good job if you can get a contract
Admin Officer (Current Employee) - Newcastle upon Tyne - 11 November 2021
I don't mind the job after working here for the past 8 months. Everyone is friendly enough and are willing to help you out if you're struggling with the work. The biggest issue for me is I come in on a fixed term friends & family contract kinda hoping if I worked hard enough, my contract would be extended but unfortunately, that's not the case. I've been told I could go to the agency they use and see if they have any spots to keep going there, but it does feel like a kick in the teeth. Apart from this, it is a decent job.
Pros
Flexi, good work mates
Cons
Could do with some major work on the training for new staff
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Good place to work - excellent opportunity to gain skills and qualities essential for improving future career prospects
Admin Officer/ Court Clerk (Current Employee) - HMCTS Nottingham - 5 July 2021
Love the job and work culture. Lots of opportunity to develop skills and scope for personal and professional development. I love the challenges and responsibilities that come with this role. Management encourage a culture of independent learning and team engagement. Lots of internal job vacancies and management are always happy to help you progress into different roles.
Pros
Work culture and flexible working
Cons
Pay Structure.
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Management style horrendous. No encouragement or coaching. Always focus on fault finding. Unfair behaviour and their petsonal behaviour was atrocious
Administration Officer (Former Employee) - Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk - 12 June 2021
Dont work for HMCTS. Dreadful organisation. Horrendous mangement behaviour & skills. Unfair behaviour to non legacy staff. Poor work standards allowed. Lazy legacy staff who like to think they are better than normal staff.
Pros
working hrs
Cons
Management
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Beautiful world famous court... but that was it.
Court Usher (Former Employee) - London - 1 May 2021
Was a court usher here. A very famous court but the court staff were as dull as anything. Lots of favouritism amongst staff that had been there since dinosaurs roamed earth that were poor at their jobs even though there were other staff that were genuinely bright and intuitive. Interesting experience working at this famojs court and some of the judges and members of the bar were lovely and there were lots of ceremonial things that took place that were cool and interesting to be a part of, but that was it.
Pros
Judges dinners, aldermans drinks, most judges were generous and kind to staff.
Cons
The bags that worked there that were too old and slow for the needs of the service, the fakeness, the favouritism, and the poorly managed staffing issues.
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Horrible place to work
Administration Officer temp (Former Employee) - Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire - 25 February 2021
If this vacancy is on the family team run a mile. Nasty sly clique of staff because you are an agency work the disparities are enormous. Poor management who listen to tell tales from permanent staff. No one was exempt from being talked about even judges. If you have any self worth don’t go there.
Pros
None
Cons
Staff room to eat in
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Hostile and outdated culture
Administrative Officer (Former Employee) - Bromley, Greater London - 16 February 2021
If you value your mental health I strongly suggest looking for employment elsewhere. Rife with incompetent managers who wouldn’t last a minute in the private sector. Family friendly policies are great but only for those who’ve been in the service 20 years, otherwise forget about any flexibility. The work is repetitive and mind numbingly boring, requires no intellectual thought whatsoever. If you don’t enjoy making tea and gossiping the day away you will probably not fit in here so prepare to be treated poorly and forced out.
Pros
Public sector so good pension
Cons
Bullying culture. Little prospect of career advancement
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Bullying Management Culture
Unfortunately there is a culture of bullying at this organisation. Work hours are very inflexible for interim staff despite permies coming and going when they feel like it. Very much one rule if you're perm and another if you're interim. I've worked in other Whitehall depts which were great places to be. Didn't understand why the culture is so poisonous here.
Pros
Close to tube
Cons
Awful, bullying Management
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Good job security, flexi time is a great positive
Band E admin staff (Current Employee) - Manchester, Greater Manchester - 10 January 2021
Goes through a lot of changes. Not a lot of opportunity to progress now. IT systems poor and leads to frustration a lot of the time. Poor performance is not really tackled staff with issues that have worked there a long time get away with things, if they worked in private industry they would not survive and be out of a job. Flexi time is the best thing about the job and sick leave. Too many agency staff are used as the department have lost some good experienced staff, most retired early or went onto better paid jobs.
Pros
Flexi time, job security, sick pay, pension
Cons
Too many stereotype civil servants, that would not be tollorated in the private sector
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Bad Management and unfairly paid
Civil Service Administrative Officer (Current Employee) - Doncaster, South Yorkshire - 8 January 2021
Have to deal with alot for the salary received and no help from a very bad Management. Would get better pay on a check out in a supermarket and not be expected to deal with above and beyond your grade. The only plus is the flexibility.
Pros
Flexibility
Cons
Management and pay
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Ask a question about working or interviewing at HM Courts & Tribunals Service. Our community is ready to answer.Ask a QuestionOverall rating
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Ratings by category
3.4 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance
2.7 out of 5 stars for Salary/Benefits
2.5 out of 5 stars for Job security/advancement
2.6 out of 5 stars for Management
2.9 out of 5 stars for Culture
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