The British workplace is apparently split into two camps: one where modern communication methods such as e-mail, video conferencing, and the like enable fast, collaborative work across the globe. The other is where little has changed since the turn of the century. That is, between 1899 and 1900, not the more recent one. It is this camp where local government seem to be firmly entrenched.

Just a few minutes ago, we needed some information from Summer, our incredibly efficient employment agent in London. She replied to our e-mail within 20 seconds, query answered, problem solved. We can get on with work knowing everything is underway in the background. But this is the exception.

Recently, we have had a lot of contact with local authorities at borough, city, and county levels. Almost without exception, contact has had to be via telephone message, days waited for a reply, and more messages, before getting answers to simple questions. Or, with the more switched-on employees, e-mails sent and messages returned saying they are out of the office for the next ten days, accompanied by promises to reply on their return.

All very well except the dates in the auto-reply are for last month. Presumably the recipient has returned from holiday/sick leave, neglected to turn off the auto-answer in their e-mail package, and put the lack of correspondence down to the recession. On the subject of sick leave, why do so many delicate people work in local government and need to have days off sick? We know one authority where staff even get an allotted number of days to be off sick, and naturally they take them, ill or not.