What to do re: this job offer?

[loopsylala]

I am currently working a full time FTC that will end in November. We are all WFH at the moment so although its not a WFH job, its unlikely I will be in the office before then.

I want a permanent WFH position as I'm disabled.

I saw the perfect job for me that I could do with my eyes shut yet it asks for a lot of UK travel. I contacted them anyway and asked if there was any way it could be done remotely (no harm in asking I thought, and as its very similar to what I already do, it absolutely could be done remotely)

They responded saying that they looked at my linkedin and were really impressed so please still apply.

They said that they would consider that option full time, or perhaps job share if I were open to job share. I said yes because my thinking was, I will need another job after November and perhaps I could do something alongside it, a second job, to increase the income.

Well the offer has come in and the salary is almost half what I am currently on in my FTC and the hours are to be spread across the week, not fixed.

This salary is too low and if I won't know my hours from week to week, then I can't take on a second job. I've also seen their policy that seems to say no second jobs without permission.

What do I respond to the offer? DH reckons to turn it down and keep looking for something better, but the job itself sounds really good and I wanted to keep WFH. Its just the money is pretty crap. £16k when I am on £30,000 in my FTC.

Any ideas as to responses? WIBU to turn it down?

I would turn it down, as it’s too much of a pay cut.

Can you have a conversation with your current work about staying WFH, considering you’ve proven over X number of months that you can do the job from home, and it’s a reasonable adjustment for your disability?

I would keep looking.

A 50% pay cut doesn't sound too appetising, regardless of WFH status.

If you're prepared to even consider such a huge cut, you shouldn't have much trouble finding something when it's nearer November but in the meantime you can afford to set your sights a bit higher.

Good luck!

I would turn it down.

Did they ask your current salary at the interview? They said they were impressed by your LinkedIn profile and I wonder if they thought they’d be getting a bargain by getting you for the low salary.

That's a MASSIVE salary cut.

Unless you work as a hobby don't do it.

You'll find it harder in future salary negotiations to get to the same level and they're not promising anything re flexibility.

If you want to mix hobby with work fine. But 99% of people would regret this move.

It's part time though so it's to be expected it's half the salary

What I'm more concerned about is that if it's spread over the week randomly it sounds like they're NOT recruiting for the other half of the week?

This has huge ramifications as they're either in trouble, or it's a 'holding' position where you do the non-travel aspects of the job until travel opens up

Either way they want the week covered if it's random hours - maximum coverage for the least pay

Which sounds dreadful - as you could end up trying to do a full time job in those hours

You can only know this if you try to negotiate on hours ie. I want to work Monday-Wednesday

Their response will tell you what, if anything they're trying to pull

I am a bit confused on the salary, if you are job sharing then obviously it will be half, say, of your current salary.

That aside, I would turn it down on account of the hours not being fixed and therefore not be able to secure a second position if you want the equivalent of full time hours.

I'm assuming you mean £16k for FT hours and not PT? If so then just not worth it, especially as you can't get a 2nd job to fit round it.

I'd turn it down unless you can afford your current lifestyle on half your income!

I think you should also ask your current job to plan ahead what your reasonable adjustments will be in November. If you and they have managed fine with you working from home for what will then be 18 months (I assume) it may well be hard for them to argue that it it is necessary for you to return to the office (or at least to return full time) given your disability.

Have they offered it to you on the job share basis with you doing the static/wfh based aspect and the job share picking up the travel bits?

Is it £16k pro rata, or actual salary for your hours?

You need to also work condensed hours so I would go back with that. I bet they are not looking for another part time worker to cover the rest of the week.

They are taking the piss. Don't sell yourself short. There will be other work from home jobs.

I’d turn it down. It sounds chaotic.

OP is on a fixed term contract that ends in November, not that she has to return to the office in November.

OP can you speak to your manager about your current post, is there any chance of it being extended or made permanent?

I would decline the job offer as it's clearly not what you want. If you're looking for WFH expand your location field on Indeed - a WFH job could be advertised in Manchester for example if that's where their head office is but you could do it from anywhere

actual salary for the hours I'd be working.

They haven't said if they have someone to co-work with me, to do the travel part etc.

The whole job share thing is very new to me, I've never done it before.

My current job is a full time FTC that would end in November if I didn't take this job offer.

And yes, they did ask what my salary expectations were and I said I'd be looking at the higher end of the (full time) pay scale. The highest salary on the scale is £35,000 so it seems I am not being offered what I hoped as they said my salary would be £16,000 pro rata for job share. They haven't actually said how many hours it would be per week but did say the hours would be across the week.

Its all very confusing as I am used to full time roles.

no chance of my FTC being extended, I already asked that question. Nothing to do with my performance and everything to do with funding. Shame as I do like the people there.

What I would do is speak with them, try and confirm:

How many hours a week your contract will be for
Try and negotiate set hours and days if that's a deal breaker for you
Ask about the second job clause. Quite a few contracts now have this in, but it's usually so that they are aware of second jobs, and that you aren't working for a company that would be a COI, or working say a full time job thats hours would impact on this job.

Remember as well that you'll be paying less tax on a lower salary, so also calculate actual take home pay.

Im lost why you've applied for a job with lots of travel when you want to WFH

If the highest salary is £35k and you're doing half the hours then surely the most they would've offered you is £17.5k? It's only £1.5k difference, can you negotiate? Or did you think you were going to be offered the full £35k? Sorry if I come across as shitty but just trying to work out what your expectations are.

I would do that kind of salary if I was able to find something to do alongside it to top it up. (I've seen something else that is 2 days pw for example).

I was actually NOT going to apply on the basis of travel but I made contact anyway to ask if it could be done remotely full time or if not, did they have anything else similar. They insisted that I applied as my LinkedIn was 'perfect' and that they would 'work around' my needs.

We are at opposite ends of the country to their head office.

Yes I agree with PP if it’s 50% hours then the max would be £17.5k so worth negotiating on the salary, clarifying the expected hours so that you could negotiate on these too if needed, if they are saying spread across the week it would be like working every morning but there could be room to do one full day then have a week day off. It depends how much time you need to have ringfenced as definitely not at this job in order to look for a second role. I do feel for you having to decide and negotiate all this from a position of not really knowing what they are offering though. Good luck

You need to talk to them.

They obviously are very impressed by you - well done you - to offer a role that they think meets your requirements. You need to understand if the hours are set and if you're expected to do any traveling and then make a decision once you have that information.

FWIW it sounds like you have an excellent Linkedin page and a great interview style so if you don't take it, hopefully something will become available nearer the time.

Surely £16k for 50% job share is a full time salary of £32k, so towards the upper end of their pay scale as you asked.

The issue I think is that you showed interest in a part time role without saying that you'd be looking for a second job, so they were unaware that you needed fixed hours.

I think you need to decide what hours would work for you, and ask them.

If they say no, or you decide that you can't pin yourself down to hours until you know what the demands of any second job might be, then I think you must decline.

I would go back to them and be very clear you WILL be working another job and you need to be able to flex the hours you work (or at the very least have set hours for them/them not be able to determine your days/hours. Snd check whether the £16000 is for your actual hours or pro-rata for part time (more like £8000).

IF you're still interested in the job.

Well I’d go back to them and say what you can do for the money they’re offering eg 2.5 fixed days a week. Always worth a try

Otherwise sounds like you have to turn it down