WWYD - Salary or flexibility?

[moneyortime]

Name changed as don't want to link this to other posts.

£45k per annum job - loads of flexibility, only work 4 days - my current job (took step back after children)
£75 per annum job - less flex, full time - potential new job

2 x young children (pre-school). Plenty of savings for emergencies. Generally enough money but not swimming in it! I am the one in the household with the most earning potential - I could keep increasing my salary if I wanted to.

Would you take the money or keep the chilled out life?

I have recently been in a similar predicament. I have a 2 year old in private nursery, but am thinking ahead of when she starts school too. Paying for wraparound care, the extra time needed for pick up and drop off from clubs and childminders, missing most of the evening with her, the added pressure for when she is off sick.

I will be in a much stronger position financially once the free hours kick in, and then not having to pay for wraparound care when she is in school - this money adds up!

At this age, I prefer to have less stress at work and more time at home. I want the flexibility to nip out and do school pick ups or drop offs. This is why I moved roles - same salary but less stress and freedom to work my own hours. My replacement was recruited for a much higher salary which indicated that I could in theory go and earn much more - but the hours would be fixed.

Work out what you can afford with different scenarios now and in the future, and also what will make you happiest.

Also, remember this isn't forever. Plenty of time to earn more money! But the kids are only this small once.

I totally get why you'd want to exercise your potential and take on the new role, and I also agree with a PP who said to take the new role, prove yourself and then request more flexibility thereafter. Your employer might refuse, but I think they have to consider it.

Equally, the largely stress-free environment you currently work within is a huge benefit. Workplace stress is just awful and impacts every area of your life - not just the hours you spend at work. For me, eliminating as much stress as possible is always a real benefit to any job!

I was speaking to a consultant from a well-known recruiter yesterday who said they're struggling to fill lots of roles at the moment because candidates are all saying they want to work somewhere with flexibility on hours and working from home and many employers just won't consider it. She said some employers are very 'bloody minded' and won't do anything to help themselves secure the best candidates for roles which can easily be undertaken from home and outside of normal office hours - many types of data processing, routine admin, customer service and finance/accountancy roles, as well as payroll roles could easily be adapted to flexible working.

She said it's mainly employers who made no concessions during the pandemic who are now really struggling to attract top candidates.

Personally i would go with flexible but then to me £45000 is still a huge salary
But money isn't so important to me , I loved the time with my kids and to me thats priceless and goes so quick
Maybe we don't have a big house and nice holidays etc but enough for us
But its all about what do you actually want

If you can afford to I would definitely go for the flexibility.

Is the new job a £30K per annum pay increase????

It sounds to me like you need to hear that it is ok not to take the higher paid role, that's ok.

Personally I am happy in a 3 day a week WFH job. I could earn a LOT more if I was willing to commute to the city but I'm not. Pre kids it nearly broke me. Now expecting DC1 I wouldn't even consider it. But I will have to be the more flexible one with children. It sounds like your DH will be able to do a lot so if you want to go for it why not. Maybe save the extra money for the first few months so that if you want you could quit after 6 months and find a new job.

Sorry second job, not new job!

Job one is £45K and job 2 is £75K?

@Crunchymum Yes. Current is £45k for 4 days. New is £75k for 5 days. I know it sounds like a huge increase but a few years ago before children, I earned £90k.

@Irishfarmer yes, I guess I do need to hear that its ok not to take the money. Feels a bit off in a cost of living crisis though....

I’d go for flexibility, BUT in my case my husband has an extremely inflexible job.

The second job is 30k more but an extra day. If you worked ft in your current role you could bump that up to £56k.

I chose flexibility when I was in your situation. I earn a bit more more than you ft term time only but got offered a ft role (all year round) for 30k more and turned it down. I'd rather have the summer off! If you need the money then that's a different story.

It's doesn't sound quite right, but you know better than us. Have you researched the company on LinkedIn, glass door, etc? Is the recruiter bluffing you a bit in order to get the role filled and thus their commission? What is your gut feeling? I'd personally find it very difficult to turn down such a jump in pay, especially with a supportive partner. And especially with costs increasing everywhere.

Something must have driven you to look for and interview for the more money role. What was it?

I always think that if you start looking for something new, there is a reason and the current job just might not be enough anymore.

I know it might seem off but its not really. I took a job way beneath my qualification level and potential, halving my pay to do so, when I had children. I'm know wondering whether I should push ahead with my career again - the job market is currently excellent. BUT I would be getting rid of loads of flexibility to do so.

Similar predicament OP- have an easy-ish job now, wfh 3 days a week, plenty of flexibility around my 1 and 5 year old. I know there are jobs I could do that would add c. 20-30k to my salary but I'm scared to lose flexibility. It's what keeps me calm and allows me to enjoy my children. I'm going to try and stay like this until my youngest starts school, I think not seeing them as much would in the long term make me sad,

We've both opted for flexibility while our children are so young. The moneys good but we're a long way off reaching our potential. We'll start going for that in a few years.

Main reason was being bombarded with recruiter requests because the job market is so good. And, yes, a nagging feeling that I am stagnating and bored where I am.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers - yes - 'calm' is precisely the word. I cope really well with pressure AT work but it spills over and ruins things outside of work for me.

You can always give it a go. If you miss the flexibility, you can probably get it back, either in the new role (most employers are willing to give flexibility when you’ve proven yourself) or by stepping down again.

Salary, shovel stuff into pension with abandon, use any left over to pay for childminder/cleaner/whatever.

You'll probably adapt to the new working conditions. If you don't, you can always change your mind and look for a different job then. It's not as if you're signing up for the army.

Flexibility

Money and experience. I'd take it. If it doesn't work out after a year you have taken a step up and look for another role. Nothing is forever.

I took a promotion five years ago with some misgivings (I applied to the department for a more junior role, got offered a higher one). It sounds ungrateful, but I burned out after three years and cannot say how much I regret taking it.

It wasn't really the role being more senior, but the poor workplace culture (understaffing on the team, reluctance to allow flexible working, culture of presenteeism/working late for no pay), so I would say that is really what you need to consider. Their response about flexible working seems a warning sign.

You could always keep looking and perhaps in the mean time there's some training/studying you could do in your current role to make things a bit more interesting?

I'd take the higher paid role.

If it doesn't work out, move on!

But realistically you're likely to be able to cope and you'll have more money to save for your DC uni/ flat which they will thank you for immensely!

Flexibile and stress free job when children are young.