How to make bureaucracy better

I, Daniel Blake had many themes and points, but one that struck me immediately was its portrayal and commentary on bureaucracy at the Jobcentre. When Katie, a single mother, is late for her appointment, she is told to leave and make a new appointment. Things get a bit heated, and the manager tells Katie to make a new appointment and leave any complaints there. Even when a sympathetic worker at the Jobcentre tries to help out, she is reprimanded by her manager.

Bureaucracy being inefficient and impersonal is no new critique. But this scenario in particular made me wonder, what exactly is the alternative being proposed? If someone is late, and there are others waiting, what can be done except to ask them to reschedule? If someone is making a scene in your business center, and you can’t appease them by offering the one thing they’re asking for, what can you do but ask them to leave and file a complaint if they so choose? Ensuring management and workers are as compassionate and informed as possible is one way of mitigating the negative effects of bureaucracy–however, being compassionate is difficult when your department is understaffed and your position is underpaid. There may not be any clear solution, and perhaps the problem lays further back than simply the institution of bureaucracy itself.

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