To give up well(ish)-paid career for a local job?

[ThinksALot]

My husband kind of thinks so!

I have worked for the same large organisation in London for 14 years. I love my job but the commute is killing me - on a good run the commute is 1 hour and 35 minutes each way, plus I have to drop off or pick up DS on one of those trips making it more like 2 hours - so in total at least 3 hours and 30 minutes of commuting a day Monday - Thursday (I don't work Fridays). With the recent train timetable issues for the last 8 weeks - my commute has been even longer than that.

I'm considering applying for more local roles to reduce my stress levels - I suffer with stress and anxiety and my mental health hasn't been great lately. I hope working more locally will enable me to lead a more balanced life style I.e. so my life doesn't revolve around work.

However, looking at local jobs I would end up taking a significant pay cut. I currently earn £48,000 per year, so for 4 days a week I get: £38,400. However, I spend £7,000 per year commuting so I would actually only need to earn about £31,000 per year locally to break even. I reckon I could get that locally. Maybe even more, which in real terms would result in more money in my pay packet every month.

The likelihood is the local job would be fulltime - so I couldn't pick up/drop off DS at school on Fridays anymore (although perhaps he wouldn't need to stay so long at after school club - he's currently there until 6pm) and I'm worried about job satisfaction in a local job, plus opportunities to progress. In my current career I have the opportunity to earn quite a bit more say in 5+years time. I've also got a good pension at the moment which my husband is worried about me losing!

Husband refuses to move closer to London and tbh I like where we live and don't really want to move. There are no opportunities to work from home in my current organisation and I can't drop a day/reduce my hours as commuting costs are still roughly the same - so I would effectively be worse off.

What would you do? Stick it out or change jobs?

YANBU. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me to switch to something more local in light of the travel costs and stress.

What type of work do you do?

Op, I took a pay cut in order to work closer to home.
It was the best decision

You are not the first person with this question today!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3301111-Would-you-take-this-job

Good replies on this thread

Thanks charityhallet - seems I'm not the only one with this dilemma! If I hated my job it would be an easy decision but I don't so it makes it so much harder to decide. I essentially go through periods of thinking I'm doing okay for a couple of months and then I swing to hating the commuter life style for the next month or so.

I'm just so worried I'd be giving up my career and the chance to earn good money in the long run. I do place an unhealthy worth on my work and it kind of defines me - what would I be without it? I'm worried I'll feel a failure if I 'just have a local job. Although maybe I can find the right company and get more of a career going, just without the commute.

I work in HR, seniorish position.

Hi there, remember that your £7k train ticket comes from post-tax salary, therefore your salary could reduce by more than the cost of the ticket and you'd break even.

I would say that you should go for it if you can afford it. It sounds as though your quality of life is being compromised. Think of what you could do with another 2 or 3 hours a day.

I would look at local jobs tbh. There is a limit to your physical and mental ability. As you get older and your ds gets older you may well find there are more calls on your time.

While I do not dismiss the consideration of your pension I think you are entitled to a more relaxed lifestyle that will give you quality time with your family.

I have commuted in London, tube strikes unreliable train services can become overwhelming, not to mention discomfort in both hot and cold weather.

I wouldn't be sneery about local jobs. A great many good organisations choose to be outside London for cheaper office space but still have a decent wage. Don't assume you will easily pick up q 30k plus job and it will be simple, either.

Money isn’t everything. I’d get one closer to home and less stress.

Not saying that to be harsh. Used to work in London now in North Herts. Earn less, work harder, but there's still room to advance.

Not sure where you are, but could you get a HR job in a school or similar setting locally? Try and get flexi working too.

I’m now a 10 min walk from home & can’t see myself ever getting the tube to zone 1 for work again.

Life is too short. Do whatever will make you content lass.

Thanks all. Generichamster - you're right - I need to stop being so London-centric. I'm lucky enough to live near some big towns and one big city, so there should be lots of companies offering a genuine career.

I used to work in London and now work locally. Bit of creative accounting but took my salary minus train fares and divided it by the hours I was out of the house to get an hourly rate. Working locally saved me a lot of hours so was able to take a paycut but actually increase my hourly rate... obviously if you need 31k to pay bills then that's what you need, but it's just another way to look at it.

If you can find roles you like, apply. You don't have to take something if you're offered it.

I would hate to do your commute. I work in London but it's an hour max door to door, even if I drop DD at the childminder on the way and that seems a lot to me. Does your DH do the same commute?

If you move jobs you'll still have the 14 years of pension contributions - you won't just lose it surely?

Ok. I was you. About 10 years ago after the birth of my first child, I went local and gave up a good role in London in PR to work for local public sector organisation doing a bit of PR but mostly admin. The organisation was just around the corner, easy to navigate nursery drop off etc. I managed to get a promotion. After baby number 3, I was made redundant and there are few local public sector jobs with the cuts and I am realising that there is no way back to the higher level of money that I need to cover three kids. I have been told by two trusted ex colleagues that to back to a central London job I need to drop a couple of levels i,e go in at officer level. Local experience doesn't mean anything should you try and go back. Be careful.

I would do it in a heart beat. Sounds like you need more for your own mental health.

I couldn't do that commute. I used to do 45-1 hour each way and that was bad enough. Moved to travel 15 min, soooo much better, more time with family and career better as well as not so bloody knackered and can put more into getting promoted.

My commute is 5 minutes and its great, even when i worked 35 minutes away that could easily turn into almost an hour if traffic was bad. Dont know how I am going to cope when I have to have a longer commute, I feel quite trapped by it actually but enjoy it in the meantime and its really handy 😊