to change jobs and earn less?

[Anarchyinateacup]

I currently work in Home Care. It's physically and mentally draining. I get paid above minimum wage and a pittance towards my fuel costs. I spend £30 a week minimum on fuel just for work, and my insurance costs have risen because I need business insurance. The wear and tear on my car is also a factor. I work various shifts between 7am and 11pm despite being on part-time hours. I am technically paid per minute, my holiday pay comes out of my wages each week, is taxed and then taxed again when I claim it back. I am at the beck and call of my employer, the phone goes daily to ask to cover extra shifts or change my own.

New Role is in a different sector but one I have experience in and can use more of my skills in. It is 25 hours per week. I'm a bit of a jack of all trades and have worked in many different roles, and qualified in different things. My DP is currently studying himself, it is funded and he has a student loan so we get by, we live in very lovely and luckily low-cost area. He will be returning to freelance work once he graduates.

The reason I am asking is because a few friends have said IABU to even consider earning less money, but they mostly work in office based jobs and don't fully understand the impact a job in care can take, although I appreciate they will have difficult moments too. They reason I should essentially suck it up and consider myself lucky as I get a lie in a few days a week when I have tea/tuck shifts. DP is sceptical it would work but supportive. My DM thinks I'm an absolute fool to consider loosing money.

Is it really unreasonable in this day and age, of benefit cuts and unemployment to consider taking a lower paid job? Money is tight with all the usual bills and some debt but I have no routine in life, DP and I spend little quality time together and I am on edge every time my phone rings in case it is work looking for me to work extra hours. They make it difficult to say no.

I would be taking a drop of around £300 monthly. SO AIBU??

[PJBanana]

You should do whatever makes you happy. If you can afford to take a pay cut and it's what you want, then go for it.

I took a slight pay cut to get the job I have now and 2 years later, I don't regret it at all.

[TheSparrowhawk]

Of course YANBU, it seems a total no brainier. Surely your happiness is worth more than 300 measly quid.

[Lizmay12]

Hi,

I have recently changed jobs. Dp has always had a good income. I was also working in the care sector in a forensic mental health unit. It was very stressful, demanding and also I never finished on time. Usually got stuck in work until gone midnight and had to start again at 7 the next morning. I did this for two years.

I got paid very well for my role but the job really took its toll. I spent less time with the children and on my days off I was too tired to enjoy it. I was physically and mentally drained all the time. The only thing that kept me going was being financially well off.
I made the decision to get a new job in a totally different role and also to work part time.
After two months of my new role I feel like a new person. We are all happier as I am calm, happy and around the children a lot more.

I have had a significant pay drop (I earn less than half I did before). I have had to make some changes in terms of what we spend. But I can honestly say my life has improved paramount. I am so much happier even with less money around to spend.

Hope that helps and I understand everyone is different so this may not be relevant to you.

[icanteven]

It kind of seems like the new job might offer more in the way of prospects? What do you think your chances are of recouping that £300 a month loss by this time next year?

I would definitely go for it.

Apart from anything else, with 25 hours a week, you have the time to enhance your training in areas that interest you and develop your career more actively. If you are slaving away at your current job, exhausted and stressed out, you are sort of pedalling frantically to stay in the same place forever.

[Anarchyinateacup]

Thank you everyone. I didn't think I was BU but the seeds of doubt had been planted. £300 is still a lot of money to us, but up to £150 of that can potentially be offset by the drop in fuel usage if I changed. I reckon we could manage.

[Anarchyinateacup]

lizmay12 Being happy and feeling like a new person is what I need, I am drained and my brain very rarely switches out of care mode. I don't want to take my work home with me.

icanteven with 25 hours a week I could definitely build on my other skills and turn then into a potential income further down the line if required, that is something I didn't actually consider come to think of it.

p.s my DP and I don't receive benefits with either job role in case anyone wonders