Should I stay or should I go?

[Lapland123]

i Wonder what you all think- as my judgement has been affected by being in my current job for so very long. I’ve been in job 13 years and have never have another employer in this country outside this. Job was great for many years but it’s changed beyond recognition now- dangerously understaffed, caseload is multiple times it should be, no sign of this getting better. I am hugely stressed and miserable.

Advantages of it really are just that : I live very nearby so negligible commute and that I am used to it. If I were sick ( I haven’t been) I would get extensive paid sick leave, I can occasionally be flexible there to see a school assembly etc and make the time up later. It’s public sector so has some pension advantage though this is far less than it was when I joined

new job- . No need to rely on other staff as would’ve dealing directly with all my own clients myself which would give far more control and satisfaction in ensuring they are managed well- unlike the other job where have multiple variable quality / non existent staff reporting on clients to me. ‘ if you want something done properly, do it yourself’ type of satisfaction. I find the other job v frustrating when staff reporting on clients do a poor job for the clients and this is now the norm.

advantage of potential new job- : pay is 30% more. Slightly Less annual leave. It’s a remote job and I may struggle to do wfh all the time as I struggled when this arose during times I had to isolate over the pandemic. I would not have that occasional flexibility described above. Pension / sick pay not as good as current job. It’s private company not public.

i am having some difficulty deciding, and wonder if I am being unreasonable to even consider staying in my current job- I am
just so used to it I am having difficulty moving on. Am I being unreasonable?
which job would you go for?

i was in a similar boat (doing the work of two people) and I escaped on mobility?. I'm relieved. Same money, same rights, same pension, but less work.

Sorry that was meant to be a question. Can you get out on a mobility scheme?

thank you for answering- but what’s a mobility scheme?!

Public sector pensions aren't as good as they used to be but the employer still puts in an average of 19%. You would struggle to find a private employer who would do that. So it partly depends how old you are and how many working years you have left to contribute to a pension.

There are other public sector employers who use the same pension scheme as LGPS.

If you work for a local council, I understand they vary a lot. The one I worked for was toxic for staff, but a neighbouring one is much better.

Having said the above about pensions, nothing is worth being unhappy for. With 30% more, you could save more. Is the new job secure?

Also, working from home now the world is open again is different to being in lockdown. You can meet friends after work, go for coffee, work in a coffee shop on a paperwork-only day etc...nothing is as bad as being in lockdown and you might find it's a lot better.

Would you maybe have the option to go in on some days?

Get signed off by your doctor for stress for a couple weeks and see how you feel then

Thanks for your replies. Gosh I didn’t know ( I should know) public sector employer adding so much -19%. I must check what the new job would be adding. There is a pension scheme but I don’t know the details. I’ve just asked for their conditions.

i Guess wfh isn’t what it was, but I would miss going into an office - it doesn’t look likely to change any time soon. But as you say, the world is now open, so it wouldn’t be like those times in isolation

new job is with private company so I presume naturally is less secure than public sector

i don’t think I could take sick leave with stress from current job- I’m permanently stressed! And it would leave those behind in terrible position. Ironically part of the short staffed situation is people who happily phone in sick for years literally, returning for a few days every 6 months to make sure they get full pay. They are literally making me sick. But I do have some annual. leave soon in the summer planned and it might help to step back and get some perspective.

Public sector don't generally specify the percentage added as they just guarantee the final amount, but I did lots of calculations recently because I was considering a move to Australia but didn't want to bugger my pension prospects up. Google says it is around 19% though, and my calculations came out very similar.

If you have AL booked, try and go somewhere else, it helps to clear the head much more being in a new environment. :-)

Thanks so much- it’s really surprising to see it so high, I just wasn’t aware. I must get the details of the other job and compare. On the face of it, I’d earn 30% more but have to figure out whether I’d be losing a lot in other areas.
yes I think the change of scenery on annualleave will help to make some decisions …