To consider a drop of £10,000 in salary?

[redrose80]

I work in a public sector job where I earn £37,000pa. It is a secure job which I know I am lucky to have in this current climate. We are all WFH until at least the new year. I have good annual leave and flexi leave entitlement.

But I have been the victim of bullying and disability discrimination for years. I have had to get my union involved but my grievance has been on hold due to covid 19 (yes they could deal it anyway but they won't so I'm in limbo)

I've been actively searching for jobs over the past 3 years and despite multiple applications, have only had 2 interviews.

I believe my lack of application success is because a, my disabilities are off putting, even though I've worked full time since 16 so I'm not incapable and b, because my skills and experience are very niche. However, I have undertaken additional qualifications to expand my range of career options.

Anyway I have submitted an application to a university job that I could do with my eyes shut. Its one of the best matching jobs I've seen of all I have applied for. It is really ideal. The salary range was advertised as £33,000-£35,000. Lower than what I'm on but I felt it was manageable.

Only after applying did I realise it was an 0.9FTE job which I think means the starting salary could be £27,000.

Now I'm not sure whether to withdraw my application or not. Its a big drop and my DM says with all the qualifications and experience I have, I shouldn't have to take a drop in salary. DH says he wants me to be happy but the money would be an issue.

The university website salaries can be negotiated subject to experience and budget. In this current climate, would it be too optimistic of me to hope that I could start at a higher salary (if successful)?

So AIBU to apply or should I withdraw, stay in my shitty job, and keep looking even though I've had no luck these past 3 years?

I wouldn’t take that drop in salary but it’s relative to your situation.

If you can manage financially then I’d apply. There may be scope to increase hours at a later date.
I took a big drop purely for my mental health.

Go for the interview and see if you still want the job. If it's offered you could try and negotiate the salary.

I took a 20k drop in salary to a job with less hours, less stress etc and it was the best thing I ever did.

As for your grievance, if you leave can you still pursue it?

Don't withdraw. Get the interview first , then get an offer, then try and negotiate. You only need to turn it down if the final terms aren't to your liking.
Leave, pension, redundancy terms etc may be very different and will need factoring in.

Keep your options open. You might be able to negotiate the salary or the position if they like you. I applied for a lower rank job and they bumped me up after the interview. It never happened to me before but it does happen from time to time. Even if it doesn't the act of interview and applying is good for mental health. Makes you feel like you are proactively trying to get out of toxic situation.

Hello! Fellow civil servant here in similar boat. I'm on £39k, and have just accepted a job in another agency on £30500 (SEO to HEO). I start work in 6 weeks.

It's going to be worth every penny of the cuts at home to have my sanity back, and enjoy the work again. I'm also looking forward to the drop in seniority and less responsibility.

I've been through my direct debits and cut out every luxury (subscription boxes etc), reviewed all of my utilities and saved a bloody fortune in the process, claimed back credit on the water bill account, looked at how much (terrifying) I spank on random crap on eBay and Amazon a month which can go, and decided what I want to pay for from now on (swimming when we can go for example) and how I'll fund it.

You can never fully get your sanity back when it's gone - I've found that out the hard way. How I just want some joy in my life again.

I would go for the job, then assess when/if you get offered it - but assuming you do get it (hope you do!), you will be in a better place mentally to then progress from there, and you'll have a different position on your niche CV.

Good luck!

Unless my maths is wrong, I think the lower end of the salary band is £29,700 which isn't quite as bad. Personally, I'd apply, see how it goes and see what they actually offer you. If it's .9 against the top end of the band then that might be workable?

Apply and negotiate for higher pay than advertised, I’ve successful done this with every role I’ve had although appreciate my sector may be different from others.

You absolutely have nothing to lose if they say no and everything to gain if they say yes or even meet you part-way.

If its 0.9 either propose extra work you could bring relevant to the role to make it FT or enjoy the extra time to yourself.

I'd take it. You could prove yourself then hopefully get some extra hours as money available for it. Better than stuck.

Where does the £27K come from?
That’s not 0.9 of the low point of the scale.
If it was 0.9 of the £35K, so only £5500 reduction AND partly offset from the non financial benefit of 10% less hours - I’d considered that.
Get the offer first.

Defo apply and then try and negotiate to a level you’d be happy with.
My company promotes internally and also recruits externally and the external applicants always negotiate and get higher starting pay than those of us doing the job a decade.
You can always negotiate on other terms eg higher salary but lower employer pension contribution or less annual leave. Maybe you wouldn’t be able to use other benefits such as health cover so could ask to exclude that in lieu of more pay.
Also through time you’ll get increments. Ask what that looks like
Be happy. Also don’t withdraw your grievance

Do you live with someone? They should get a say as well.

I certainly wouldn't withdraw the application - keep the option open and turn down later if you want to. But first secure the offer, see what the salary and other benefits are then go from there. It may be better to take it if a little low rather than suffer the bullying. Perhaps you could do something else as a sideline to make up the difference which could be better in the long run as you'd be out of a toxic atmosphere. Additionally, maybe the Uni has another role that you could apply to (once you are in you may get other openings).

What about other factors I. E. Commute?

Perhaps be aware that most universities are implementing massive budget cuts so they may be less open to negotiating salaries than was normally the case. Vacancies may also be pulled at the last minute. But would advise going for the interview and seeing what happens.

Do not withdraw. Most people I know in my work have left to change jobs for a lower salary, at least to start with.
Also, do take into account the hidden benefits with the jobs. Pension contributions etc.

No, I’d keep looking for another job at my current salary or above. 10K is something you could never potentially make up. I’d be upset if my DH did this personally

I took a huge drop in salary c£30k to go part time with less responsibility so I could spend more time with the kids. I find the job frustrating but I can leave and just go home. No stress, no thinking about it outside my hours.
It’s worth it. Money is a lot tighter but I wouldn’t change it at the moment. I’m happier, the kids are happier.
If you think it will make your work life happier then go for it. The hours spent at work can have a huge impact on your whole life

I'd go for it, money is not everything, your mental health and happiness is much more important - we are only here once - it's not a dress rehearsal

Also, it’s not a drop of 10k. 0.9 would mean between £29,700 and £31,500. So at worst just over 7k less and maybe only 5.5k less.

And once you’ve taken tax and NI off, the real take-home difference is even less.

Universities are facing big financial decisions (as obviously most employers are). We've already been told at mine that we won't get our annual pay scale increase this summer. But get the job offer first, you're under no obligation to accept it.

@heyheyho that’s covered in OP

The university website salaries can be negotiated subject to experience and budget

Do not expect to be able to negotiate a higher salary at a university at the moment. They are (mostly) all broke and about to get a lot poorer as a result of a crash in the number of overseas students due to covid, and an expected drop in home students putting off Uni until next year, plus a predicted crash in EU students to come next year after the end of the brexit transition period. Many have compete hiring freezes and are looking and every opportunity to save money - there will be redundancies all over the place and several have already asked staff to take 10-20% pay cuts to limit the number of job loses.