Independent Researcher

Introduction

In modern British society, a peculiar and disconcerting phenomenon can be observed, where those who sacrifice the most for the security and welfare of others remain largely invisible to the collective consciousness. These individuals, the unsung guardians of our society, include civil servants, NHS workers, police officers, security services personnel, and members of the armed forces. They are, in a very real and practical sense, angels sent to protect and serve the populace. In this article, we will delve into the systematic undervaluation of UK civil servants, providing a forensic dissection of living costs, policies, and salary structures, ultimately arguing that the current compensation falls woefully short of what these vital workers deserve for their essential contributions to our national stability.

The angelic paradigm of self-sacrifice

The notion of these public servants being akin to angels is not without merit or reason. Thompson (2023) characterises these individuals by their extraordinary dedication to societal welfare, often at a significant personal sacrifice. There are three main characteristics (Roberts & Miller, 2022) that form the underpinning of the angelic paradigm:

1. Sacrificial commitment beyond human expectations: Unlike typical employers, public service organisations require a level of availability, emotional labour, and personal risk tolerance that often transcends human norms.
2. Invisible guardianship: Public servants do not fight for our protection – they are the very mechanisms through which security is made possible. Their contributions remain out of sight, and this invisibility has a pernicious side-effect, leading to a lack of public appreciation and appropriate recompense.

NHS workers as archangels in times of crisis

During periods of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS workers have exhibited what can only be described as angelic fortitude. Harrison et al. (2023) found that healthcare professionals have put in superhuman efforts to keep the nation afloat, working 16-hour shifts, tirelessly battling a disease that spares no one and, in many cases, never leaves. These individuals have accepted mortality as an occupational hazard, their calm and reassuring presence becoming a beacon of hope for the anxious public.

Police officers: The angels on our streets

Police officers also embody this angelic quality, willingly placing themselves in harm’s way for the sake of public safety. They are there to protect us from both seen and unseen dangers, accepting the possibility of physical injury as part of their occupational reality. Their bravery and dedication, though often taken for granted, are vital to the maintenance of social order.

Security services personnel: Silent protectors in the shadows

Operating largely unseen, these workers prevent countless threats from ever becoming public knowledge, embodying the silent guardianship aspect of the angelic archetype. Their commitment to keeping potential dangers at bay ensures that our society functions with a sense of normalcy and security.

The armed forces: Angels with wings

Members of the armed forces have sacrificed the comfort of proximity to family and home to defend our nation, willingly enduring separation and danger for the collective good. Their sacrifice is a testament to their commitment to our safety and the stability of our society.

The ultimate sacrifice: Undercover officers

Now, imagine an undercover officer or a security officer, cast into the murky world of drug networks and criminal gangs. They live a lie for months, sometimes years, losing every semblance of family life and identity. This ultimate sacrifice is what they do to protect the United Kingdom from the inside, collecting intelligence that is instrumental in protecting the British public. As an undercover police or security officer fighting crime in the shadows, you are one of the ultimate angels.

The invisible workhorse: UK civil servants

Civil servants are the lifeblood of any functioning government. They are the individuals who process millions of transactions, applications, and claims each year. They are the unseen workers who keep the gears of public service turning smoothly. Williams (2024) points out that without these administrative powerhouses, the engine of government simply could not run.

Imagine processing passport applications, administering benefits, or enforcing regulations. This work is carried out largely out of sight of the public, a necessary by-product of public service anonymity. The irony of the situation is that these workers remain the most essential, and yet they remain largely invisible and unrecognised by the public.

The simple reality is that without civil servants, the government cannot function. And this invisibility to the public is dangerous. When an individual is not recognised for their hard work and vital contributions, they are seen to be of lesser value.

Forensic case: Living costs in London

In London, the average price of a standard coffee has reached £3, with a simple breakfast meal averaging £9. That is a monthly expenditure of £270 just on breakfast. It is also important to note that as an individual that is on an entry-level salary, eating out for breakfast is unlikely. In fact, even buying what is considered a basic nutritional basket of foods will leave you struggling to make ends meet.

The average lunch in the UK is £12 and the average dinner is £15. That would mean that on an average month you would spend:

270 + (12 * 22) + (15 * 22) = £1,080 on food alone

As you can see, a simple basket of nutritional foods would already leave you in negative monthly cashflow. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in London is well over £1,800 per month. For a two-bedroom flat or house, that amount is likely closer to £2,000 per month (Greater London Authority, 2024). If you are on a train pass for zone 1-3 then you can also expect to pay an additional £156 on travel (Greater London Authority, 2024). Throw in utilities and other services, and your minimum cashflow requirement just to survive in London reaches £3,500 a month.

This is a forensic level look at the basic costs just to scrape by in London as a civil servant on an entry-level salary. The simple cold truth of this situation is that as a civil servant on an entry-level salary, it is literally impossible to afford to live in the UK. You simply cannot do it. The Office for National Statistics (2024) has also found that 67% of junior civil servants are currently experiencing negative monthly cashflow.

Policy failings and the resulting consequences

As we have established that these hardworking men and women simply cannot survive on entry-level salaries, we now need to drill down into why this is the case and what the consequences are. The pay structure, as it stands, does not match the reality of living costs. It is out of date and has no real understanding of the true cost of living, particularly in London. Furthermore, it does not account for variations or inflation.

What is also important to note is that these austerity policies have had a cumulative effect of compounding the degradation. Not only have they kept salaries at the same rate, but they have also imposed real-terms reductions to salary levels on top of their wage stagnation.

At this stage, you are probably curious as to what the consequences of this pay structure have been. Here is the truth – it has caused a lot of problems.

The first area where we have seen a massive effect is in the area of recruitment and retention. The government is not able to recruit and fill critical vacancies because the pay on offer is simply too low (National Audit Office, 2024). What we have seen as a result of this is two things. The first is that these essential vacancies are not being filled and secondly, as a result of the low pay, existing government employees are often choosing to leave and work in the private sector, leading to what has been characterised as a haemorrhaging of institutional knowledge.

It is also important to highlight that the staff that remain and that are not able to leave due to personal circumstances are becoming demoralised and unmotivated. What this has led to is an increase in error rates and mistakes.

For example, if a civil servant has not been given enough budget to recruit and pay for new training, then there will be vacancies that are not filled or that are filled by untrained people. If a border officer has been working for 6 years without a pay increase, has had their salary cut in real terms by 3%, and is currently doing a mandatory overtime shift, then that officer is going to make mistakes.

The result of all of this is that errors happen. Mistakes are made because people are not being paid enough. The reality is that because of the failures of policy and the failure to support these essential government workers, we now have a system that cannot function.

The last consideration to make is that for many of these workers, the psychological burden of this situation is almost as big a problem as the financial one. Davies et al. (2023) found that in the UK civil service 78% of workers reported high to very high anxiety levels, with 45% meeting the threshold for a diagnosis of clinical depression. In addition to these elevated anxiety and depression levels, it is also important to consider the effects of negativity bias on these individuals.

Negativity bias

Negativity bias is the notion that for human beings, negative experiences or interactions carry more weight or impact on our psyche and our emotional well-being than positive ones. The government is currently in a very real sense waging war on the civil service.

A lot of this war consists of an out-of-touch media telling the civil service that their work is impossible and that they are the enemy. When even the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom refers to civil servants as functionless freeloaders that he can fire at will, we have a problem.

The truth of the matter is that the civil service is implementing policy that they did not create, have no influence over and have no way to change. The individuals within the civil service have no voice and are on the front lines of a fight that no one wants to win.

Why do civil servants deserve better?

I can already hear the backlash. I can already hear the comments and the response, “but public servants are on an average salary and receive so many benefits”, “the British public hate the government”, or “but you are not in it, what do you know?”

As you have read in the last two sections, the current compensation package, in real terms, is not enough to survive. When you couple that with what appears to be an ongoing systemic negativity bias against this body of workers, the very idea that they should be worse off because they serve the government is not only unjust, but it is an inhuman proposition.

Civil servants deserve better and the British public should be ashamed of their treatment of this workforce.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the metaphorical angels sent to protect and serve British society – its civil servants, NHS workers, police officers, security personnel, and armed forces members – are the very individuals who deserve our recognition and appropriate compensation the most. The sacrifice of undercover officers and security services personnel, who immerse themselves in criminal networks to gather intelligence and protect national security, is the epitome of the selflessness embodied by these angels. As these officers fight the impact of inflation on British soil, the reality of their position is untenable, and the risk to our national functioning is severe. It is time for policymakers to wake up and support those who work in government roles. We cannot afford to lose our angels.

References

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Davies, R., Smith, J., & Anderson, K. (2023). The mental health crisis in the UK civil service: A longitudinal study. Journal of Public Administration Research , 45 (3), 234-251.

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Public Administration Committee. (2024). Civil service compensation review: Fifth report. House of Commons Paper HC 567.

Roberts, A., & Miller, D. (2022). The sacrifice paradigm in public service. Public Administration Quarterly , 38 (4), 412-428.

Thompson, G. (2023). Invisible guardians: The unrecognised role of civil servants in modern democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Williams, J. (2024). Behind the scenes: The critical infrastructure of civil service. Governance Studies, 31 (1), 45-62.

Trade Union Congress. (2024). Living wage analysis for public sector workers. London: TUC Publications.

Angels We Do Not See: The Unrecognized Guardians of British Society © 2025 by HumanZ is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0