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Original poster

What 3 things are keeping you in your current job?

213 replies

YourBoldDog · 16/01/2025 09:10

I’ve been thinking about my current job lately - it’s stressful, with tight deadlines and a lot of pressure, and I’ve seriously considered quitting. But despite the challenges, there are a few perks that are keeping me here longer than any of my previous roles:

  1. Stock options
  2. Free lunch and bottomless snacks/drinks
  3. Travel opportunities

What’s keeping you in your current job, even if it’s not ideal? Are there perks or reasons that make you stay or do you just love what you do?

OP posts:
Fatloss · 16/01/2025 14:56

Colleagues and pretty good managers
great union rep
i like some of the intellectual challenge

WildestWinter · 16/01/2025 14:53

I've just accepted a job offer, so on the verge of leaving my current job, but prior to that I'd been there for over ten years. What's kept me there so long is:

  1. There's on site childcare provision, which is both excellent and affordable.
  2. I'm relatively well paid for my sector
  3. I have a good deal of autonomy and flexibility around my hours and workload

Both 1 and 3 are hugely important as a working parent, and I'm a bit apprehensive about how flexible my new organisation will be, but after a long time in this job I've risen as far as I can go. My youngest is starting school this year so the childcare won't be a factor in the same way.

ItGhoul · 16/01/2025 14:53

I think my top three reasons are:

  • Nice team and good organisational values/culture in general
  • Flexible in terms of location and home-working
  • Plays to my strengths and is thus pretty easy for me

The drawbacks are that there are minimal opportunities to progress salary-wise and I'm working at way below my skill level. Other than that it's fine really.

Aswewalkinfieldsofgold · 16/01/2025 14:52
  1. Lovely, supportive team
  2. Works around my children
  3. Easy, stress-free (however the "easy" part is why I'm considering a new job as I need a challenge but I keep going back to points 1 and 2).
familyissues12345 · 16/01/2025 14:50

My boss. I honestly have never had such a lovely one

Flexibility/hours. I work the days of the week that I like, and I control my own diary so whilst those days are stuck, if I need to keep a time clear, I can.

Training. Lots of training options available

LennyBalls · 16/01/2025 14:46

People I work with
Annual leave
Pension

PumpkinScarf · 16/01/2025 14:46

Understanding/flexible around my small children. Quite close to home. Very secure.

Lavender14 · 16/01/2025 14:45

Flexibility of hours- manage my own diary completely
Pay - on a good wage for my job in my sector
Challenge- enough to learn and develop my skills but not so much that I'm out of my depth. I feel like I'm progressing

goingdownfighting · 16/01/2025 14:43

Nearby
Easy
Paid training

mistmirror · 16/01/2025 14:41

Lack of alternatives.

Very flexible working hours

Better holiday entitlement than other jobs I applied for.

theruffles · 16/01/2025 14:38
  1. It is incredibly flexible and offers a lot of leave
  2. At times it's really interesting and the work we do makes a difference to people and places for the better.
  3. Other perks, e.g. free access to certain attractions, big focus on mental health and wellbeing so we get access to certain apps/help focused on these areas.
AgentCooperdreamsofTibet · 16/01/2025 14:34

Salary
Generous annual leave package
Good pension
Wonderful immediate colleagues
Job is genuinely interesting and is something I want to do.

That's five things and they are very important. On the other hand, the workload is immense and there's a very poor management culture both when it comes to addressing workload and stress, and also bullying/harassment. I've thought a lot about leaving due to these factors but the upshot is that although I do struggle with the negative, the pay, annual leave etc outweighs those issues for me (I can understand that others may feel differently).

We're about to embark on a compulsory redundancies though and I'm very scared. The thought of actually not doing this job genuinely makes me sad. I've also been looking around for options and have realised how good the pay, leave and pensions package is here. Realising how lucky I am. Have an application in at the moment for a job that looks great and is a good use of my skills but I'd likely have to drop £5-10k and get half the annual leave that I currently do. It's made me realise how much I value this.

onlineteacher · 16/01/2025 14:31

Fully wfh in my contract.

Get most of the school holidays with DC.

Great, supportive team.

neverbeenskiing · 16/01/2025 14:28

I love it

I have a good work/life balance, 13 weeks off a year, no evenings or weekends and flexibility to wfh if I need to.

Every day is different

NeedToChangeName · 16/01/2025 14:28
  1. I love it
  1. I'm good at it
  1. Reasonably well paid for reasonable hours
Rarelybutsometimesunreasonable · 16/01/2025 14:25
  1. Salary to work life balance ratio is best I’ve ever had
  2. Hands off manager who lets me get on with things without interference
  3. Stock options
WilfredsPies · 16/01/2025 14:25

Annual leave
Flexible working
Been here so long I’m part of the furniture and I have perimenopausal brain fog; new stuff isn’t sinking in like it used to.

Destiny123 · 16/01/2025 14:25

The patients. Its interesting/every day is different
Soon will be the 10m commute (currently 3h a day and v resentful

Dappy777 · 16/01/2025 14:23
  1. Money/bills
  2. Not wanting to live in a horrible, depressing area, with noisy or violent neighbours
  3. Fear of the future
2025holidayplanner · 16/01/2025 14:22

Hourly rate is decent for someone with my qualifications
Flexibility
I mainly work alone

HellofromJohnCraven · 16/01/2025 14:20

Like my boss
Like my team
Interesting work

fromthevault · 16/01/2025 14:15

Ultravox · 16/01/2025 09:22

Money
Colleagues
Flexibility

I don’t like the actual job but the above keeps me from quitting.

Same.

TheGirlWhoLived · 16/01/2025 14:15

Oh I wanted to add I can leave it all behind at the end of day. Which I couldn’t when I worked in mental health!

TheGirlWhoLived · 16/01/2025 14:13
  1. Super flexible. Actual contract is very low with the option to pick up to 40 extra hours per week if needed
  2. Weekly pay
  3. Lovely friendly team of people. Manager is stern but straightforward and I like that!
Whoyoutakingto · 16/01/2025 14:11

Maths
Students
Colleagues