To leave lovely school Hours job for full time wfh job

[Workingmamma2025]

I have a lovely school hours job 9-3, local, wfh two days a week and extra wfh days if dc are unwell. School holidays are still a juggle (single mum no ex dh help). Pay is mid range.

i have been offered a full time 9-5.30pm completely remote position. It pays £200 more a month which would be nice, and I do prefer my work from home days.

But I also love finishing work at 3pm, especially in school holidays. Dc are 11 and 14, I’m not sure what to do!

both jobs are accounts admin so similar type of work. Pay difference I guess would mean the difference between a budget uk holiday each or an abroad holiday which is a rare treat for us (if my parents treat us.

I enjoy current job if that makes any difference.

By the time you have paid more tax, national insurance and pension, how much of that £200 will you get? or is it £200 after deductions?

So you'd be working an extra 12.5 hours per week for £200pm? Pre or post tax?

Do you mean £200 extra per month or per week? £200 extra per month works out at about £4/hour for the extra hours - I wouldn’t work for £4/hour.

It is £200 extra after deductions a month

Just on the remote only point, that can be very isolating long term and difficult to integrate into a new role when you can't meet people.

I would honestly stick with what you have. £200 a month wouldn't be worth it for an extra 40 hours a month.

If you wanted longer hours, could you ask for them at your current job?

So it's £10 per working day approximately for working an extra 2.5 hours. Its a no from me.

@ByQuaintAzureWasp thats how I’m feeling when I look at it daily.

although the new job has a lunch hour so it’s 1.5 hours extra day. Currently I don’t have a lunch hour (although eat at my desk and take an unofficial break of about 15 mins which I’m paid for)

I have similar age dc and find they need me more than I expected at this age. if its £800+ a month, I would consider it, but not a chance for £200 a month. The ability to chat about their day, supervise homework etc with out being exhausted is underrated!

@SpringHasSprungGrassIsRizIWonder

its £200 extra a month after deductions.

that’s how I’m feeling that the period 3-5.30pm is great as I can help with homework, and cook etc.

Dont do it! I left a busy school role and am now working from home and it's really not great at all. Its one thing wfh with established role and colleagues, but another trying to learn a job remotely and knowing nobody. Its just not worth it.

@Thefuture2025 thanks that’s useful to know!

not worth it YABU

I would stay at the school. Lovely work colleagues and the flexibility would win for me over £200 extra a month for a lot more work, plus you haven’t accounted for your own heating bills etc going up if you are home 24/7…although you may have zero travel costs at the school if it’s very local?
don’t underestimate the support network you have in place at the school for when life throws you a curve ball.

It’s good to know people feel similar to my initial gut thoughts, I was just worried passing up £200 a month and working from home (which I love). But I’m reality it does feel 3pm is a much better finish time than 5.30pm. I’m also worried about learning a new position when it’s completely remote.

there’s maybe an option for more hours where I am, or maybe more remote days, I would have to ask to see.

200 pounds is not much, you'll be paying that just for after school. To me wouldn't be worth it to be honest. ( I'm single mum of 2 school age children too)

It’s not a school, but school hours 9-3.

so great all round, although I do struggle a bit in the 6 weeks holidays. But I think I still would with fully remote. Kids too old for child care but bored on their own while I’m working and at the minute I go in early to get home for 2.15pm in the holidays so we can have a late lunch together

I would stick with your current role for the lovely colleagues and good hours. £200 isn't enough of a salary boost for the extra time you'd be putting in - per hour it would actually be a pay cut wouldn't it? Maybe you could do a couple of longer days where you are, or more remote days? If you've been there a while they might be open to that.

I’d probably stick with what you have. I have two teens and find they need me a lot more now. I work term time only remotely 9-5pm and find it a struggle. I did work in a school before but was alone in the office so am used to lone working. I moved jobs a few years ago and took more hours and work completely remotely but have found it tricky to learn a very new role remotely with limited support. I prefer remote working as I have a severely disabled child plus my two teens so it gives me more flex. So it does depend on the job. I moved into something that is more digital.

For £200 a month, I don’t think I’d move.

I would stay where I am if I was you. I think finishing at 3pm (and sometimes earlier) is worth more than an extra £200 a month. Also agree about 100% remote working being isolating especially in a new role - I did this for a while in a job I'd already been in for years when we relocated. It was great financially and logistically to be able to keep my job and made the move so much easier but after a while I really missed going into an office and seeing colleagues in person. I also felt like work became all about the task itself without any of the other bits that make up work, and that any issues felt much bigger and more stressful without a colleague sitting next to me to quickly chat things through with. Your balance at the moment sounds perfect to me.

Personally I'd stay where you are, it sounds like they're very flexible which is an excellent culture to find yourself working within and I think while your kids are young it's incredible that you can be available to them from school pick up onwards. I'm also a single parent and I work to 5.30 and I would love to be able to be there for school runs and just have those few extra hours at the end of the day when ds might need to chat or unwind after their day. Plus being able to give yourself more wind down time in the evening rather than the dinner/ cleanup/ bedtime rush which I always find quite hectic. I think you'd end up juggling a lot more between work and your kids and while £200 is a decent amount it's not something I'd risk flexibility and understanding over as a single parent. Especially if you enjoy the job you're in now.

Most people would love to finish at 3pm but the overwhelming majority of people can't.
Not sure why you aren't working more hours as kids are at secondary school. Surely this is the time to increase your hours?
I appreciate that children of all ages need their parents.
Good luck with your decision

Agree, this is what would put me off

I’d stay where you are but look at other ways of increasing your income if that is important to you. You might be able to get sone work you could do at home a couple of evenings a week using your existing skills. Or increase your hours to work full days on the wfh days at your existing job. If the DC make their own way to school you could start earlier and finish a bit later and add an extra 5 hours a week of work.

I would stick where you are. £200 per month probably wouldn’t even be noticed but the working until 5:30 each day would be.