To keep job that I don’t like for the convenience of the hours?

[KimGa]

I currently work part-time (18 hours per week) in a local government admin/customer service role on a fairly low rate of pay, around £13 per hour.

I love the fact that I can fit it completely around school hours during term time. I have 2 primary aged children. I’m contracted to do 3 short days 9-3 and then during term time I try and always work a 4th day to earn a little more. I go into the office one day a week but the rest of the time it’s from home which is really convenient. The short days mean I don’t ever have to pay for any wrap around care. After school most days I then taking the dc to various sports trainings or swimming lessons etc 4pm/5pm. They love their clubs and the thought of not being able to take them to those if I changed job makes me feel so guilty.

The amount of hours and the amount I’m able to be there for my dcs is therefore perfect. However, the annual salary of around £12,000 a year is a compromise.

I’ve lived with it for 2 years but the trouble is I’m now unhappy in my role as my colleague has just left, my work load has doubled as a result and my manager is useless. They are not replacing my colleague. So I’m now starting to really resent the compromise of the poor pay because work has become really stressful.

As I approach 40 I also have the niggling regret that I got a great degree and am capable of so much more, not to mention all the stuff we can’t afford. We’re in the south east, have a small 3 bed semi that needs work doing which we can’t stretch to. Life otherwise is manageable, we’re not struggling but we do have to live fairly frugally (think 1 week uk holiday a year, only meals out/takeaway on birthdays).

I feel really stuck because I have always worked in local government so don’t know what else to go for that would be part time and considerably better paid. My colleague who just left l decided to take a full time role elsewhere to earn more but I think she’s regretting it as she is really struggling with the juggle and I know I would too.

What would you do if you were me? All the other part time roles I see are for 2 or 3 long days but I don’t feel that maximises working the time the dc are at school and would mean paying after school clubs on those days. A term time job in a school would be great but pay is even worse. Should I just stick out my current role and keep tightening my belt money-wise as my current job is so convenient?

In your shoes OP I'd be inclined to stay put. The job sounds like it has far more benefits than problems. However, I would point out to your boss that you can't and won't do two people's job for the same money. Do not be obliging, do only what you did before your colleague left. That way, if they want you to do more, you're in a good position to negotiate a pay increase. You've said that your ex colleague is struggling with longer hours etc., so personally I think you'd be mad to quit.

I think the fact you are not paying for breakfast club and after school care, should be weighed up as a major positive. And you've also said you only go into the office once, therefore all the other days you are saving on travel and lunch costs maybe too. I am in a similar situation to you and this year my workload is going to go up significantly but I tell myself I can take my kids to schools and be around after. Could you ask for career progression / higher salary, is that an option to move up? Sorry no idea how to deal with extra workload, I guess you can do what you can in your contacted hours.

Stay put, but see if you can negotiate a pay rise given extra workload

I wouldn’t cope so well with the work if I were you. If you can manage alone why would they replace the colleague that left.

Could you up your hours and do 5 days a week?

If they are not replacing your colleague, they need to either pay you more money, or reduce your work load. Be firm!
I wouldn't leave a job with that level of flexibility no, your set up sounds good.

Thanks for the responses, affirming that others really see the value in flexibility of my current arrangement.

I’ve started to do emails outside my usual working hours to keep up with the workload but you’re right I definitely need to stop that and just say I can’t cope with the workload within the hours I’m being paid for.

Someone else from a different team is going to help with the workload one day a fortnight but my manager says I need to train them up and struggling to find time to do that. I think it should be his responsibility given he’s full time and the lead on the project but he won’t.

It will get easier once it’s term time again because I’ll be able to fit more hours in.

Can you do 9-3 for five days a week during term time?

It sounds to me like you need to be really firm with your boss. Ask him how he expects you to find time to do the work that they were previously paying two people to do. Ask him if he thinks you were both just dossing around doing nothing, he'll probably bluster at this point, which is when you say, 'well I can tell you now, we weren't, and therefore there is no way in which, not only can I suddenly manage to do two people's work, but ALSO teach someone else the job! I'm sorry, but if you want me to do that, then you'll have to pay me to do more hours, or find someone else to teach them, but it isn't physically possibly for me to do it'. Then stay quiet! Don't say a word, but just look him straight in the eye, until he responds. He'll likely just turn and walk away, and from then on, only do the work that you were doing previously, as all that you'll achieve by doing extra work, is to make his life easier but not your own! He's being paid to be the boss, and handle the pressure, and if he can't, then HE needs to pay someone else to help. Trouble is, this is what so many employers rely on, they think that if they just load on more and more work that people will do it, which makes them look good, but actually makes YOU look bad, because if you CAN do it, you clearly weren't performing to full capacity previously!