Jobsworth
Encyclopedia
A jobsworth is a person who uses their job description in a deliberately uncooperative way, or who seemingly delights in acting in an obstructive or unhelpful manner.
"Jobsworth" is a British
colloquial word deriving from the phrase "I can't do that, it's more than my job's worth", meaning that taking the initiative by performing an action, and perhaps in the process breaking a rule, is beyond what the person feels their job description allows. The Oxford English Dictionary
defines it as "A person in authority (esp. a minor official) who insists on adhering to rules and regulations or bureaucratic procedures even at the expense of common sense." Jonathon Green
similarly defines "jobsworth" as "a minor factotum whose only status comes from enforcing otherwise petty regulations".
Phrases such as "that's not my department", "that's not in my job description", and "that's not my job" roughly reflect the attitude of a person to whom the term applies.
An example of the phrase which gave rise to the term occurs in the 1965 Beatles movie Help!
when the assistant scientist character Algernon (played by Roy Kinnear
) exclaims "Well it's more than my job's worth to stop him when he's like this, he's out to rule the world...if he can get a government grant." The character Carol Beer
in the British comedy series Little Britain
usually acts like a jobsworth: she works, for instance, in a bank and travel agency, listlessly inputting customers' requests into her computer only to flatly reply with her catchphrase, "Computer says no..."
Another early use was by UK folk
-singer Jeremy Taylor
in a song he wrote in the late 1960s:
The term became widespread in vernacular
English through its use in the popular 1970s BBC
television
programme That's Life!
which featured Esther Rantzen
covering various human interest and consumer
topics. A "Jobsworth of the Week" commissionaire's hat was awarded each week to "a startling tale of going by the book".
The term remains in use, particularly in the UK, to characterise inflexible employees, petty rule-following and excessive administration. It has largely supplanted the older term, "Little Hitler".
"Jobsworth" is a British
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
colloquial word deriving from the phrase "I can't do that, it's more than my job's worth", meaning that taking the initiative by performing an action, and perhaps in the process breaking a rule, is beyond what the person feels their job description allows. The Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
defines it as "A person in authority (esp. a minor official) who insists on adhering to rules and regulations or bureaucratic procedures even at the expense of common sense." Jonathon Green
Jonathon Green
Jonathon Green is a British lexicographer of slang and writer on the history of alternative cultures...
similarly defines "jobsworth" as "a minor factotum whose only status comes from enforcing otherwise petty regulations".
Phrases such as "that's not my department", "that's not in my job description", and "that's not my job" roughly reflect the attitude of a person to whom the term applies.
An example of the phrase which gave rise to the term occurs in the 1965 Beatles movie Help!
Help! (film)
Help! is a 1965 film directed by Richard Lester, starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—and featuring Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, John Bluthal, Roy Kinnear and Patrick Cargill. Help! was the second feature film made by the Beatles and is a...
when the assistant scientist character Algernon (played by Roy Kinnear
Roy Kinnear
Roy Mitchell Kinnear was an English character actor. He is best remembered for playing Veruca Salt's father, Mr. Salt, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.-Early life:...
) exclaims "Well it's more than my job's worth to stop him when he's like this, he's out to rule the world...if he can get a government grant." The character Carol Beer
Carol Beer
Carol Beer is a character in the TV and radio series Little Britain, in which she worked firstly as a bank clerk then as a travel agent and now works as a Receptionist at St John's Hospital in Pennsylvania...
in the British comedy series Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
usually acts like a jobsworth: she works, for instance, in a bank and travel agency, listlessly inputting customers' requests into her computer only to flatly reply with her catchphrase, "Computer says no..."
Another early use was by UK folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
-singer Jeremy Taylor
Jeremy Taylor (singer)
Jeremy Taylor is an English folk singer and songwriter who has spent much of his life in South Africa, originally as a teacher of English in southern Johannesburg, but since 1994 has lived in Wales and in France. Part stand-up comedian, part singer, Taylor has used his talents to confront the...
in a song he wrote in the late 1960s:
- Jobsworth, Jobsworth, It's more than me job's worth,
- I don't care, rain or snow,
- whatever you want the answer's no,
- I can keep you waiting for hours in the queue,
- and if you don't like it you know what you can do.
The term became widespread in vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
English through its use in the popular 1970s BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programme That's Life!
That's Life!
That's Life! was a magazine-style television series on BBC1 between 26 May 1973 and 19 June 1994, presented by Esther Rantzen throughout the entire run, with various changes of co-presenters. The show was generally recorded about an hour prior to transmission, which was originally on Saturday...
which featured Esther Rantzen
Esther Rantzen
Esther Louise Rantzen CBE is an English journalist and television presenter who is best known for presenting the BBC television series That's Life!, and for her work in various charitable causes. She is founder of the child protection charity ChildLine, and also advocates the work of the Burma...
covering various human interest and consumer
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
topics. A "Jobsworth of the Week" commissionaire's hat was awarded each week to "a startling tale of going by the book".
The term remains in use, particularly in the UK, to characterise inflexible employees, petty rule-following and excessive administration. It has largely supplanted the older term, "Little Hitler".