Taking a job in London - two days a week

[VelmaVenkman]

There's too much going on inside my head so am writing it down. Just been offered a job in a big global company, more money (£12k more plus hefty bonus) but they want me in London twice a week. Door to door it's three hours each way. I could feasibly do it but it means up and out at 6am and not back til 8/9pm. I actually really like my current job (90% WFH) the company is great and it's very flexible which gives me great work/life balance but the CEO is a bit of a nob and the company is much smaller so less protection once he's 'on one'. I didn't actually apply for this new role, was approached directly by the company. For full disclosure, the extra money would be helpful but we're currently financially comfortable. Also not sure whether new company would expect me to fund all my travel, waiting for clarification on that. WWYD???

£12k sounds like a lot, but take off tax and NI and it’s probably more like £7k, then look at travel costs. I’m guessing a commute like that is going to be £40+ train ticket rice a week-giving over £4k a year travel costs. Meaning after that you pocket an extra £3k a year-or £250 a month.

If my maths is close to reality then I’d say not worth it.

Three hours each way, twice a week?! Fuck no. The logistics will be a nightmare, it's too expensive and also, it sounds like you'd probably be reliant on cross country trains? Quite apart from anything else, we don't have a good enough rail system to make that viable at the moment.

You don’t want the job, you didn’t even apply for it. Just don’t take it

I travel on a 3 hour journey from London on a regular basis and it can often be 4 or 5 hours after engineering, strikes, and unexpected delays like a person on the tracks. I definitely wouldn't consider doing it twice a week with a primary aged child.

I can well believe it. Thinking about the places that are a 3 hour train journey from London, do any have a really reliable service at the mo? Such that you could be pretty sure it'd normally be a 3 hour trip and issues would be occasional not routine?

It's basically will likely work out as the same money for many more hours and stress

similar situation to you, new job asked me to be in London twice a week - sometimes three but rarely, maybe once a month I’ll do a 3 day week - but they doubled my pay! They don’t pay my travel but with the new salary it was worth it for us. It’s only 2 hours door to door though, so I can leave the house at 6.30am and be home by 7pm twice a week. I actually really enjoy the 2 days a week in the office but no way could it be worth it for only £12k more, I would negotiate and ask for significant pay rise otherwise the travel isn’t worth it. Worth at least negotiating to see what they say?

Exactly what I meant by my comment. Tell them you’re willing to take the job for no more than one day in London, preferably once a fortnight. They can take it or leave it. They may want you enough to agree to your terms but if they leave it you haven’t lost anything.

For £160 a day, you could do two days and stay over the night, so up Monday, stay at a Travelodge or Premier Inn for about £120, home on Tuesday. So £280 a week, less on Bank Holiday weeks and when you are on holiday. Also booking up hotels in advance or being able to arrive later to get cheaper train tickets could make it possible.

Just depends on how much you want the job and whether it will further your career?

I did this for about 8 years from when DS was 2 although I didn’t get any extra money, my employer paid for my travel and hotel. I never slept very well , trains were regularly delayed, it was exhausting and I became very grumpy.

If it propels your career it might be worth it but negotiate and be very clear in yourself what your time boundaries are. And either get them to pay the travel or ask for £24k rise.

If I really wanted the job, I'd try to negotiate a bigger salary to cover the cost of travel and time on commute, or possibly work during the commute (if feasible) and agree to take the time back on a Friday, a sort of condensed hours arrangement. And I'd ask them to cover the cost of overnight accommodation to do the 2 days concurrently. But I'd enjoy an evening in London every week.

I wouldn't do it, my time is more valuable to me now.

This!

What happens if they suddenly decide you need to be in 3 days a week or even full time ?

£12k is not enough for that level of additional travel. I'd either say no or push for a much higher amount