So they came back with the lame counter severance offer of one week's pay for each year of service [no longer capped at £350pw (stat terms)] - woo-hoo! Well I'm sure they will consider that to be a very generous offer and more than enough to stop anyone slating the firm.But let's face it, it's rubbish. If you look at any of the competition then you'll find offers of one month's pay for each year of service is closer to the mark.But the Board at PA are happy to continue completely out of touch with the wider firm:-A large promotion on the PA website promoting PA's services on 'staff engagement during the downturn' -oh really?!-Senior board members believing the original statutory redundancy terms were considered reasonable and necessary by the majority of the wider firm -are you having a laugh? Most people were ready to riot over that!-Issuing an all staff notice about insignificant changes to the senior management structure days after firm-wide redundancies are announced -give me a break, who gave a monkey's about that when they were worried about P45's being issued?!PA - show some leadership that is in touch with your employees or expect a mass exodus of talent when the market picks up....

Funny the external website doesn't refer to this stellar performance from our celebrity board member:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1203800/Army-chief-forced-switch-phone-live-interview-defending-British-role-Afghanistan.htmlWell Stanley, that's another fine mess you've got me into

What I can't understand is why you joined PA in the first place.PA is well known not to pay much, not to be generous on holidays and expenses, without mentionning the poor quality of the projects. It's been on this site for years.What did you expect when you signed your contract?You knew what you did - or should have made you're homework. So stop complaining on this website. Just start looking for a new job

Dentures get thrown too?

Probably for the same reason clients use PA. They can appear superficially competent and straightforward, especially with the emphasis on execution not just strategy. I'll be honest when I was with them I did no public sector work, worked purely with global organisations outside of the UK, and one of my biggest assignments was clearing up a McKinsey inspired mess. I joined PA because I had been in a specialist boutique consultancy and wanted to find out if a big firm had an operating model that was less seat of the pants. They didn't.It was also the most miserable time of my life because of how we (and the clients) were treated. Some PA people who post here seem to think it is only the deadwood who leave. Far from it, it is usually those who have swallowed the red pill, including the only two partners I respected in my practice.And post PA I earn a lot more, work less, enjoy life more, see my wife and children and do work that I value.Don't get me wrong, PA does do some good work, and it suits some people especially those who have come up through the ranks or are in a niche sector,but the day I left 123 for the last time was simply wonderful.

J - we all hope to join you, voluntarily or not and sooner rather than later

My company aren't being quite as stight at 2 weeks for every year but clearly that's still way below what some companies offer

Come on, PA's alright! Good people, good pay, decent work life balance, respectable work! Sure they're not McKinsey & Co, but honestly, what more could you want!

I don't recognise any of the above.I left PA a little over a year ago, due to the long hours culture, poor Ts&Cs (what is the 23 days hols all about) and complete lack of staff support structures. In light of how poorly they have handled the sensitive issue of redundancies, I can see that little has changed.Glad to be out of there, and working for a decent company now

I am new to consulting - what does PA stand for?

A partner at PA once said to me how important the work life balance was. I might have taken him seriously if we hadn't been leaving the client site at 3am at the time he made the comment.

Hi PoppyPA stands for "Pretty Average" or "Positively Awful" Consulting

I fail to see what the problem is with these terms. PA isn't a charity. I think the Board have taken a reasonable view. If people are cr*p why should they be given loads of money to leave? I don't think people were ready to riot over the original terms at all - that's just nonsense. Most people are just getting on with their jobs. People need to grow up and stop crying like babies. It's boring.

Mr Tickle - beautifully put and I couldn't agree more (apart from the cuts are not just about getting rid of crap people). Most of the people I have spoken with about this just want the cuts to happen quickly so everyone can just get on with their life. I am hoping that the PA-ers who constantly whinge on here are among those who we get rid of. If they hate PA so much but are too spineless to sod off somewhere else then it would be good if PA did it for them.

The next stage in the PA decline is going to be pay cuts in the Autumn.Mark my words...

BOPper, you really are a complete idiot. Anyone with half a brain knows that a forced pay cut would represent a breach of contractual T's and C's under employment law and therefore will not happen.You need to look no further than HP/EDS in the UK to see that forced pay cuts on work forces contracted under English law are not possible.

"what is the 23 days hols all about"It's about you signing a contract without negotiating, it's not difficult to get more added. Like many posts on here, people seem to bleat about PA letting them down when it's more about their own failings. If you look around, you'll see good people doing good assignments for good clients, the ones who come on here and cry about doing boring process mapping for local government etc - what does that say about people's trust in you to deliver? Oh yeah, it must be because the partners are rubbish, that's the only explanation - yawn. There are good opportunities in PA, if you got off the internet and showed a bit of initiative you might well find some of them.

So say we all.

"the day I left 123 was simply wonderful".Indeed, I haven't met a single one of my ex-PA colleagues or any acquaintance that has ever worked at PA who has not said how great it was to get out.....and before the PA clones come on here alleging my incompetence, I got a "3" at PA. Since liberation into a proper job in industry - managing multi-million £ projects - I received an "outstanding performance" in my last appraisal.

"I got a "3" at PA. Since liberation into a proper job in industry - managing multi-million £ projects - I received an "outstanding performance" in my last appraisal"Crikey - never though I'd say it but PA must be doing something right if it gets rid of people like this idoit! No wonder British industry is in the mess it's in.

Looks like we're back to repetitive BOP whinger vs disingenous Corporate spy once again.

Hi Erik"Crikey - never though I'd say it but PA must be doing something right if it gets rid of people like this idoit! "So is every one at PA Consulting who gets a 3 or below an "idoit"?I expect you get 3's all the time

'"what is the 23 days hols all about" It's about you signing a contract without negotiating, it's not difficult to get more added. 'Is this true? I was told that the 23 days are non-negotiable, but that most people work a 5-4-3 model, so it makes up for it.

job seeker - what on earth does your question have to do with this thread? you just too lazy to start a new one?

My favourite story of 2009 showing how cheap PA is was when they moved the base location for a bunch of their staff from Edinburgh to London with little notice and no compensation. Says it all really ...

"the day I left 123 was simply wonderful"Ill second that, I have never looked back

"My favourite story of 2009 showing how cheap PA is was when they moved the base location for a bunch of their staff from Edinburgh to London with little notice and no compensation. Says it all really ..."Not sure where you got that from. The PA office in Edinburgh is still doing just fine.