DH - support to DH to make right job decision

[Lottie4]

DH is 58 and ideally would like to retire 60-62.

Previously he worked very hard to get a degree alongside working and family with a view to leaving. Around time of qualification, a job came up which required his new skills so he stayed - average pay, but good pension, holidays, flexibility over working hours/emergencies. He loved his new job, but the department is slowly moving away from what it's about, ie from a support to training.

There's another job with organisation which has been advertised for six weeks and no one suitable has come along. He said he'd never go back to certain areas, but job involves working alongside two departments he's worked in before, so he has great background knowledge.

He came home very low yesterday. He's spoken to what would be his new line manager and thinks the job is basically his if he applies. He then spoke to his own line manager, but reality hit home that he'd be giving up everything he's worked for. She confirmed they'll be moving away from support, although, they'll still be an element of it.

I don't really know what to say to support him. Just wondering what others would do if in his situation.

I'd suggest looking outside the company at this point. If his department is changing is there an opportunity to get a decent redundancy settlement? That might be a really good thing?

Thanks for your reply. He's been keeping his eyes on what's available elsewhere and there's nothing on a similar payscale.

He currently gets specialist pay (no one else does) so I doubt they'd let him go, as there's no one else with his level of qualification in a specific area if it was needed (certain elements of old job will be retained).

I know he has to make the decision, but it's hard watching from the sidelines.

If he's aiming to retire in 2-4 years then he needs to focus entirely on what will maximise his income and his pension.

It sounds like he's a bit Eeyorish about things and there would be no perfect role anyway so go for whatever pays the most. If he's only aiming to work for very few more years future prospects matter less than current salary.

Thanks.

Both jobs are on same payscale, but his current role he qualifies for specialist pay and on call pay. On call in another problem as people keep leaving/going off on stress so he's on call a lot more and they won't pay for it. He has to be at end of phone (so literally takes the phone to toilet/shower), we can't go for a meal, he can't have a drink and also supposedly within 20 mins of work.

I'll see how he feels tonight. He's always the person whose there for others, so hard to see him struggling.

So on paper it sounds like he should stay in current role.

I don't really understand the on call bit - he should be eligible for it but he's not getting it, is that right ?

Does he need to put his foot down and either get proper on call payments or scale back his availability?

If the current role is impacting his mental health then perhaps he should go for the other role - maybe if he is offered it then current department may do something to stop him leaving.

I'd just try to help him to keep it in perspective. In 2-4 years none of this will matter, so he just needs to focus in getting to that end point.

Increasing money saved into the pension and reducing stress should be the priorities?

They might conflict e.g. lower paid job is lower stress but then he is an adult and can decide which is more important to him.

Agree with pp it's nearly the end now, assuming it's not too bad a pay cut I'd just go for whatever is less horrible day to day.

Their department gets an annual call lump sum payment which is split equally between them - they're expected to cover for eachother and they get it even if they're off long term and don't do it. He's been knocking his head against a brick wall with it, but they won't change the above.

That's a good point - I'll take to him about his mental health and ask him to be honest with himself as to where he is now - part of his job was to support colleagues in organisation with things like their mental health which he believes is really important. I suspect this is one reason he's battling with it so much.

Make lists of advantages & drawbacks .

Toss a coin and see how he feels about the result.

I agree that retirement income & mental health are the priorities.
If he can get both of those right, he's sorted.

As a fellow mental health advocate we get told a lot that we need to look after ourselves before we look after anyone else.

It does sound from your further updates that something needs to change. So encourage him to apply for the new role- he doesn't need to make a decision until it's offered to him and at that point - as no one else seems to want the job - he's in a strong position to negotiate a bit and perhaps add in an uplift.

Also areas and roles change, saying he's never working with certain teams again feels like he's looking for some utopian role that doesn't exist. It does feel as if he needs to work on his resilience a bit and also start saying No to being on call all the time.

Re the on call. If say there are 10 people in the department I'd offer to be on call 10% of the time only, maybe one day per week if I was feeling particularly generous. But if people are off on long term sick or whatever it's the manager's problem to resolve.

Looks to me like his manager doesn't want to rock the boat about the on call.
I have been on call in several companies I worked on and "they get it even if they're off long term and don't do it" had never ever happened.
It is unfair and it would upset me if I was on call let say 30% of time and only got 10% of the total. Has he raised it with his manager. What is he afraid of? It is upsetting him and impacts your family life!
On call was at the very least a retainer per shift weekdays and much large amount if that was a weekend.
I think if that was resolved he would feel much more satisfied and it may even encourage others to come off their long absences from work.