A jobsworth is a person who uses the (typically small) authority of their job in a deliberately uncooperative way, or who seemingly delights in acting in an obstructive or unhelpful manner. It characterizes one who upholds petty rules even at the expense of effectiveness or

efficiency Efficiency is the often measurable ability to avoid wasting materials, energy, efforts, money, and time in doing something or in producing a desired result. In a more general sense, it is the ability to do things well, successfully, and without ...

. "Jobsworth" is a British colloquial word derived from the phrase "I can't do that, it's more than my job's worth", meaning that to do what is requested of them would be against what their job requires and would be likely to cause them to lose their job. 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."2nd Edition, Oxford University Press Jonathon Green similarly defines "jobsworth" as "a minor factotum whose only status comes from enforcing otherwise petty regulations". An example of the phrase in its original context in the 1965

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

movie '' Help!'', when Roy Kinnear's character, the assistant scientist Algernon, 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." An example of the term in its fully formed metaphorical 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 In journalism, a human-interest story is a feature story that discusses people or pets in an emotional way. It presents people and their problems, concerns, or achievements in a way that brings about interest, sympathy or motivation in the reader o ...

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, and is generally used in a pejorative context.House of Commons Hansard Debates for 1 May 1996 (pt 10)
"There seems to be here an element of what might qualify for Esther Rantzen's "jobsworth" award. I would certainly like to look at it more closely. I will therefore follow up the matters that my hon. Friend has raised today, and I hope to be able to write to him in due course."

References

{{reflist Pejorative terms for people British slang Human resource management Public administration Waste of resources

See also

References