I really hate my job but the pension is really good. WWYD?

[myCucumber]

I've been in my job nearly 6m. I knew I'd made a mistake in the first week but I thought it might be being a newbie etc but my gut instinct was right. 6m on and I still hate it. The actual job is a bit naff and not really what I had expected but I can deal with that. However it's the people. My manager micromanages me, constantly reminds me of deadlines that I'm already on with and is always asking have you done this, have you done that? I have made a point of cc- ing her in literally every fucking email but I have found that has made things even worse as she knows exactly where I am at with each thing and will keep asking me about has x/ y / got back to you? Have you got back to them etc

Also my team is very small. We have 2 others in my team and they are very very cliquey. Their job is not really related to mine so they work quite independently to me. I feel like a girl in the playground feeling left out! I've tried talking to them, small talk etc and even brought in biscuits and a chocolate box on 2 separate occasions to seem friendly but they just don't really want to know!

The only plus is the pension and the commute is short.

Should I leave or stay here for the pension? I would look for another job internally but in the 6m of being here they've never had anything suitable and TBF jobs rarely come up as they are very tight on funding.

Dh is saying if it's making me so miserable to just quit. He has said that he's noticed my mood definitely has changed and he's right. I'm unhappy and I'm more ratty and probably a miserable cow to live with!

WWYD?

I wouldnt stay in a job which made me miserable for a good pension.

If at all possible leave. Or try and change the job somehow. If you are near pension age,which I doubt, stick it out, but it's never worth being miserable if you can do anything to change it.

I think it all depends on what your alternatives are. If you can find a job with similar pay/benefits that are maybe just a bit less then it would be worth it for the happiness. But if there's nothing else out there then you need to hang on and see if it improves.

How old are you and what stage of your career are you at? Are there lots of openings in your field or not really?

It does sound quite miserable but it really depends on what the alternatives are.

Definitely don't stay for the pension, unless you're in your 60s I guess. You've identified that you're unhappy and why, and that's valid.

I have worked for the same establishment for 30 years and I am staying because of the pension - I only have 5 years to go.

You have only been in post for 6 months so that is a very different situation. I say leave and be happy. I really wish I could, but it would be cutting my nose off to spite my face.

Leave as soon as you can and find somewhere else where you can join their pension ASAP.

Im 40 so nowhere near pension age. I'm not in a career as such as I work in admin. I've had a long break from work after having children and went back to work last year. I started temping to get my foot into the world of work and that's when I landed this job. I could easily find temp work again which tbh would earn similar to what I'm earning now but without the pension and the stability of permanent work.

I would certainly start applying for other jobs.

Leave. Its not worth it. I'm all for making sensible decisions about pensions (ie not sticking your head in the sand and opting out of one) but on the flip side there is no guarantee for any of us that we will live long enough to draw our pensions. So whilst paying into a pension is definitely important, you can't spend years of your life feeling miserable just because you'll hopefully have a decent pension some day.

How old are you? I wouldn't make decisions based only on the future - you need to be happy now as well.

My parents spent many years totally focused on increasing their pension then dad fell ill and died 7 months after his 60th birthday so never got to enjoy it.

You can’t stay there and be miserable for another 27(+?) years!

You do realise you only get one life don’t you?

Are you 1 year away from retirement? Because that's the only reason to consider staying. Otherwise look for a new job. Hopefully your salary will increase over the years to make it worthwhile.

Managers come and go. I'd stick it out a bit longer, or look for something else with the same company.

Get out as soon as you can. Life is too short.

I did think of sticking it out for another 6m but the thought of it just makes me sick! Theres 2 other organisations in my town that offer the same pension but they never ever have bloody jobs going! I've been thinking should I wait it out till I find another job in these other organisations which God knows when that would be or just leave to do something else and forget the damn pension!

I would definitely leave. You spend too long at work every week to be miserable there, it's not good for you. I hated my last job, just didn't click with the people there at all. I ended staying 18 months, but took the time to find a job I really wanted, waiting for an opening.

I've been in my new job 3 months now and I love it. I have great, friendly team of people, my company is well regarded and is renowned for treating their staff well. And best of all I feel completely different, I no longer dread Mondays, I am happier all around and have become much more social. Before, I was retreating into myself and avoid socialising, looking back I was on a downward spiral.

So yes, leave but do your homework first and find yourself a job that is what you really want.

Can you define the pension arrangement?

Sorry, as in what is it about the pension that makes it so good?

Have you tried taking to your manager to say you feel micromanaged (not in those exact words of course). You could offer to send her a summary email once a week, say every Friday, in exchange for her not constantly asking where you're up to. That might help her feel she's got a handle on things in a way that works better for both of you.

Not having pension provision is bad, so would stick it out while looking for something else.

And stop copying your boss in on everything, and at your next one to one ask her to stop doing a couple of things.

Look for other jobs but don’t make yourself unemployed

I could go straight into a temping job which I'm pretty sure I could do long term as I was temping for a large organisation last year who always had loads of jobs and I temped for over a year.

It's a lgps pension.

I've had to copy her into eveey email as she literally would ask when if I say if emailed someone. I'd have to find the email and tell her. It just seemed easier copying her in

It's a lgps pension

Right, so find another job with Local Government.

I could have almost written your post 10 years ago as I started a job with a final salary scheme that closed to new entrants a few months later. That feeling of dread every morning. Due to other things that were going on in my life, I stuck it out for 2 years but it was tough motivating myself. A pension is not worth staying for if you hate the job/work environment. I found the salary and overall package at the next place was pretty good, and the work itself much better so never regretted that move.

I don't work for the local government. Ours have a freeze on jobs. There's hardly any. I don't know how long it will be before they advertise a suitable job or if I even get it.

I work for another organisation that has the same pension.