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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To take a years salary payout with no future plans (single parent)

83 replies

birkenstuck · 29/06/2021 19:22

I'll try to be brief. Difficult. Am a single parent with no real other support. What I earn pays for me and my two children. Mortgage. Quite a bit of equity. No really significant savings.

Fed up at work. Pays well. Need new challenge. Been there a long time. Getting older. Worried that if I stay much longer it's going to get more difficult to move on as I'll be (seen as...and might actually be) institutionalised. Nowhere to go in my current company.

Ive been stuck in a way as am a little out of the way geographically... so the job I have is really well paid and rare where I am. My children are in school a few more years and I won't move them. Not an option. I had accepted I'd be a little stuck before.

If I take a package being offered (to everyone, if I don't take it my job isn't actually on the line, they just need a certain amount to go... and are almost there in terms of numbers) I would get about a years take home pay.

So. Tempted. A lot of the jobs in my field are starting to become remote. Things have changed. I think I'm pretty employable. I think I'd get a job after taking the package.

So. Aibu to jump. Have a years safety net. Assume I'll get something in that year.

Or am I being irresponsible and foolish. Too risky. Would any gap just look awful to employers?

Obviously the sensible thing to do would be to get another job first. But if I do that I won't get the redundancy.

I could progress the refund cat (would take three months to sort) and in the meantime apply for other roles... so no gap?

Anyone done similar? Anyone regretted it? Anyone taken the plunge and moved on successfully with a little nest egg in the bank?!

OP posts:
GettingItOutThere · 06/09/2021 13:35

@birkenstuck

Just an update. They have said yes! Yikes. Leave in 4 months. Now need a plan. Thanks for all of the encouraging comments, made me feel braver than I would have done Smile
i was reading this and then saw the date! i would have said do it 100% !!

I was not a risk taker, i am now! life is for living, best of luck in your new job whatever you decide to do!

SadWife2020 · 06/09/2021 14:17

Hi - I haven’t read the full thread but I have dealt with a lot of redundancy in my career and I would say 1) no problem to say on your CV your took VR, not a big deal just say generous terms and ready for a new challenge, end of; and 2) do check your contract for restrictions on working in a similar field (restrictive covenants), if there are any ask to have them waived, this is usually fine in a redundancy situation

DontGiveAFlyingFig · 06/09/2021 14:34

Excellent news OP, just been reading the thread and was thinking 'do it, do it' and I now see that you have Grin

VR can be a catalyst for a change in career or just a kick up the bum to leave, well it was in my case.

Good luck for the future OP x

PinkTonic · 06/09/2021 14:58

I was made redundant involuntarily in April 2020 at the age of 62. Not pandemic related. I worked out how long the money would last, lived sensibly and found another role. I did have a professional outplacement programme and the first few months were worrying due to pandemic but there’s so much more choice now that location is less of a factor. Best thing that could have happened to me. Good luck with it.

PrincessNutella · 06/09/2021 15:00

I wouldn't do it!!

Peace43 · 06/09/2021 15:20

I’m very risk averse and a single parent and I’d take this. I am a remote worker anyway and I’m confident I’d get another job well within the 12 months. If I was you I’d go for it. I do move jobs roughly every 3 years though and I know I can find another role easily enough.

OoglyMoogly · 06/09/2021 15:35

I took voluntary redundancy when I was in the same position as you. I got another job in weeks, and it's worked out well for me.

Go for it.

birkenstuck · 09/09/2021 15:21

@JackieCollinshasnoauthority

So glad you've decided to refund the cat. Best of luck!
Trying to work this out... made me laugh if it's a typo. If it's not... it's keeping me intrigued! 😎😎😎

Everyone else thank you for the encouragement. I can't have (or have applied for) a job on leaving at the end of Dec but after that no restrictions. Hard not to start really looking now... and I keep seeing fab roles! I'll sit tight though. Take a month off and then apply like crazy. Grin

OP posts:
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