Wfh vs higher salary

[Workdilemmas]

How much would you be willing to drop to wfh. I have two offers of roles. One is 5 days in office, one is 2. 30% pay less for wfh one. Non negotiable. other perks the same. I’m very lucky that I don’t pay for childcare, children aged 9 and 11.

Think we need to know the actual salaries (roughly) to see what 30% looks like. What are your commuting costs and times? They're the killers that really seem to split the "everyone should be back in the office all the time" from the "no way am I going back to that shit again".

What is 30%? How comfortable are you now with income, savings and pensions?

You should work out what the take home pay difference is after tax etc on the 30% difference, and and then consider the cost of working in the office - commuting costs, including your time, lunches, tights etc to get the real difference between working from home or in an office, which could be just 10% or 15% and see if its worth the extra.

Personally I'd go for work from home if I could, I'm in the office 3 days a week now, but I do have a couple of colleagues who are in every day, out of choice.

WFH every time.

You can cover Kids illnesses, being able to carve out time to attend assemblies, not be late for school concerts, get to parents evening without being caught before you try and leave, the sheer added productivity you get by not having to listen about Maureen’s poorly cat, the ability to create time for exercise and avoid the mental load created by just commuting. Worth the 30% IME - and I took a pay cut and a less stressful position when mine was around the same age - kids need you to just be around as they hit puberty and during the teenage years, way more than when they were toddlers.

You are lucky to have the choice abd money isn’t everything providing you can cover the bills from the lower wage.

Higher pay and negotiate a WFH day mid week to break the week up.

Thanks all. Avoided salary so as not to distract from question but yes, context is everything.

5 days a week office - £130k
2 days a week office - £100k

commute for both an hour each way

5 day one no way to negotiate wfh. Cost of commute £15/20 a day on trains.

At those salary points, I'd definitely go for the wfh option!

Thank you

Wfh, 100%. You can always negotiate your salary up over the coming years/months but you'll likely never negotiate from the 5 days in the office.

And a 1 hour commute each way? Never.

Definitely the wfh option! The additional work life balance is worth far more than 30k.

Not sure where you are based but I commute via train into London 3 days a week and the train service is just getting worse and worse.

Given the choice I'd take less money to do less commuting, it's just ridiculously stressful with no signs of it improving

Thanks. This was what was drawn to but is a hefty enough amount to think twice.

the train point is very good!

I'd go with wfh unless your lifestyle is already based on the higher salary, all things being equal. You'd spend a lot of money on the commute as well as lose many hours.

At 9 and 11 they are old enough, or soon will be to be able to stay at home while you wfh, but maybe not to be at home all day while you are an hour away. It is also nice to be there when they get home from school even if you are working.

At those levels a lot of the extra £30k will be taxed at around 62% including losing your personal allowance. So your extra take home will be about a grand a month. So if you look at commuting costs then you may not be much better off anyway. There will be benefits like pensions to think about but it sounds like a lot of extra effort for what will be a fairly small net difference.

At your salary points you risk paying a 60+% marginal tax rate with the higher paid role because of the loss of personal allowance at that rate. So you would be commiting to.5 days in the office and being less available to your children (and more tired / inconvenienced) yourself for 10-15% more net pay)

In addition to travel, it’s the breakfast/lunch costs that ramp up my day in the office as well- and yes, obviously I could prepare and take food but I don’t. Part of the reason I wouldn’t want to increase from my one office day currently is these sky high costs- even a basic sandwich/salad from Pret is extortionate now. So unless you’re Uber organised, or the office job has a subsidised lunch option, I’d factor that into your financial calculation too.

WFH then

I'd do the WFH. Whilst not that long, I find an hour long commute tedious and is the max I'd do- I've done longer in the past. Twice a week is doable, 5 days is a nope!

A basic check on a takehome salary calculator suggests the net difference is £12000 pa. Probably you would spend £2500 ish on the extra 3 days commute per week. Plus 6 extra hours travel per week.
I'd do the wfh.

I’d take the wfh job. If they’re that archaic they insist on 5 days a week in the office there will have plenty of other non flexible policies also.

Absolutely the wfh £100k one due to how much tax you pay over £100k.

This is what I think.

DH turned down a job for the same reasons. Higher salary but also higher commuting costs plus the added stress and hassle, it's not worth it. He took the job with lower pay and more flexibility and has never regretted the decision.

With a 1hr commute each way, that's an additional 6 hours per week minimum that you gain back by taking the more flexible job. More time to spend with the children, or time for yourself and less commuting.

Another vote for WFH

Lots of people assume that kids need you around less as they get older . In my experience teens need a lot of time too and their issues can be really quite significant and they can be quite at risk some of the things they try and get up to whilst their brains develop . If the roles are comparable and would have no impact on your career progression I’d consider the wfh role .