Ex-boss has offered me what I wanted back in June

[confused2602]

When costs continued rising and we had no choice I had to start looking for a full time job (I was working 2x part time jobs, 3 short days, 2 long ones but in a school so deduct school holidays etc). My preference was to stay at the job that I worked at 3 short days but increase my hours. Small, family run business, they eventually decided they couldn’t afford to increase my hours. Very swiftly and sadly I was able to find something new. It caused me a lot of upset and resulted in lots of changes. I no longer do the school run for my 7 yo and my 12 yo has to come home to an empty house every day. Fast forward to today and they’ve struggled to recruit someone suitable. They have offered me 5 days, school hours. I’m really in a muddle about what to do as have now started to settle in at the new role, the money is good but it is a strain on family life and hard to fit anything much in when I get home. AIBU to decline the offer (I was very happy in my old role sand miss them very much) and continue in this rushed, stressed life? AINBU if I take it, reducing my income by £300pcm but meaning life is less stressful - I now drive to work and spend £120ish pcm on fuel, £50ish on after school club and have to rely on family for school runs most days. I’m sad this couldn’t have happened before all the upheaval, so really hesitant to rush into anything.

If your old job couldn't afford to increase your hours back in June what has happened between then and now? Can they actually afford you or are they just desperate?

I would stay in the new job, it’s more money. If you were not good enough/ they could not afford to take you on full time in the summer what’s changed now? Also if they are recruiting why is no one taking the job?

So now they can't find a suitable replacement they've found the money from somewhere to offer you what you wanted.

If I were you I don't think I'd feel very secure if I moved back. I'd be wary that they made the offer to get you to come back but that after three months or so they'd announce that they'd been looking at the accounts and realised that they couldn't continue to pay you for five days and were cutting you back to three - possibly that having been their plan all along.

You know them, you know what sort of people they are, but I don't think I would risk it.

@Gymnopedie This is exactly what I came on to say.

I would be worried that, after a short while, they would tell me that they would have to revert back to my original working hours.

Definitely go back. Would you factor in petrol etc then you're not much better off anyway at the moment.

This ^^

I'd be very sceptical that the offer was genuine and not just a ruse to get you back through the door whereby they will suddenly not have the money again.

I'd think very carefully about going back so quickly and consider the very real possibility that if you do go back this new offer will be short-lived.

As PPs have said, explain that you'd be delighted to come back but you need take home pay to match your current wage, and you'd like the protection of continuity of service.

Like a pp, I'd be worried about job security going back.

Go back to the old job, if they are good people.

If it had been a large company that let you go I would say don’t go back but a small family run business has more challenges.

Negotiate a pay rise too.