If your take home pay was 5k a month, would you do this?

[Juso]

Current situation is a single parent (ex does the bare minimum, he’s never even done a nursery run!) and doesn’t pay a penny (constantly out of work and gives me 100 here and there).

My current job is flexible, I can do pick up when I want and get to the office when I want. I can work from home when suits.

Ive been offered a role which requires 9-4 in the office, four days a week. But, it’s 1k a month more after tax. I wouldn’t have to spend more on childcare as dd is already in to 5pm.

I feel so conflicted. Things are ok at the moment but it’s hard to give up the extra 1k especially when you’re ok your own. But I might be making a mistake with being happy where I am and having flexibility. Wha would
you do?

I wouldn't. You won't have a grand extra a month to spend as you please, and for £300 of spending as you please, the lack of flexibility and the unknown are just not worth it.

I would be considering which job was best for my long-term career.

Would the salary increase take you over £100000k total before tax, as that can make a big difference in terms of childcare funding etc?

Eithher way, keep the flexibility that gets even more important when your child is in school. Constant events that need attending.

I would ask your current employers for a pay rise - you've been offered more that would give you 1k a year more.. See if you can negotiate it!

Your current job sounds like a dream

Sorry no, no matter what your life is i value flexibility over salary now, you do not know what is down the road, children get sick, you get sick or need extra appointments, other family members need you etc. I am so blessed no matter what happens i have the flexibility to work extra hours, start early or late, finish early or late, build up TIL, WFH, this is so so important to me

As said, after expenses, it's around £460 a month. However, if you need to take unpaid leave to cover sickness, then it becomes not worth it. It's also the difference between someone at, assemblies, plays, inspire days, parents evenings etc. Unless you have family that could go.

It depends how badly you need the extra £1k a month. If you're always broke by the end of the month and don't have enough left over to save even £100 a month for emergencies, then I think I'd take the job paying the extra money. If the money would be a nice to have but you are managing right now, I think I'd value the enormous flexibility of your existing role more.

I personally would, that is a lot of money you can put away for the future, But only you know how the reduced flexibility is going to impact your lives

personally better the devil you know so to speak

I would absolutely keep the flexibility if you are managing financially at the moment. More money would likely be really helpful but especially once DC starts school the flexibility is worth more imo.

As a fellow single parent of one DC I get the stress of being the only source of household income. It’s not necessarily as straightforward as always going for flexibility over pay when you’re the only source of household income, have to fund everything yourself, plus trying create a savings safety net.

OP I’d look at trying to negotiate some more flexibility, or at least find out if there’s flex in emergencies, such as when your child is ill. Some jobs will say they expect you in x days a week as standard, but are actually pretty flexible in practice when life stuff happens. Then factor in the commuting time, travel costs and how that will all work once your DC is in school, with breakfast and after school clubs not always being as flexible as nursery.

I switched from a very flexible job with more WFH to a less flexible job with more set office days last year, and tbh I have found it very difficult. I've missed out on things like the school Christmas performances, there's less flexibility with things like medical appointments, and all of your non-work life has to get squeezed into the evenings or weekend. Only you can make a decision about what's right for your family finances, and obviously any working set up can change, and employers can start increasing in-office days, but personally I really value the flexibility.

I'd keep the flexibility - an extra 1k is lovely, but not a fair trade for calm weekdays!

And then after parking you could factor in things like whether you're likely to be careful about making yourself coffee and lunch to take in, or whether you're going to spend another £10 a day on lunch plus £3 a day on coffee, or find yourself going out for lunch or coffee with people. I am not super organised and personally could really myself blowing through that £1K just by parking and buying myself lunch and a coffee outside the house.

I wouldn't do it, personally, I think a job where you can set your own hours and work from home is really amazing. What about if your DC falls ill and you have to drop everything to go and pick up?

Could you use the offer of the new job as a bargaining tool for more pay from your current job?

I would take it. It doesn’t just affect your earnings now, it also affects your future earnings prospects as any future job will want to know what you earned most recently (depending on your field, but in most cases). You’ll presumably have increased pension contributions as well.

I wouldn't do it as it as you'll need more flexibility when your child starts school than you do currently for nursery - later drop offs, earlier pick ups, the many drop in things for parents (shows etc). I think being happy where you are and the flexibility (plus presumably the good will you've built up while you've been there) is worth more than 1k when your kids are that age.

I can't see the age of your child/ren.

It is relevant.

No. The flexibility is worth more, especially when you already earn £4k.

Take it. Your career will grow and later you might regret not accepting it.

This. Think longer term. If you don’t take this now, will you get the opportunity later? Will it help you get even further up the ladder in a few years?

I did this. I found the flexibility of having nursery/wraparound far out weighed the job flexibility. So don’t look at it as the job being more flexible- but your childcare. When your kids are in nursery/primary that’s when you have decent, reliable childcare. As they get older and into secondary that’s when I found job flexibility more important as you don’t have childcare to pick up the slack.

worked well for me. Worked hard and climbed the ladder in nursery/primary. By the time kids were in secondary I was at a level where I could be more flexible at work- the more senior you are the more autonomy you tend to have. That meant I was around more when the kids got home at 3 as no after school club in secondary. Chunk of the mortgage paid off, money available to we’ve had some decent holidays together, and they’ve benefited from the spare cash in driving lessons, extra curriculars etc.

i’m also looking at earlier retirement in my mid 50’s/early 60’s. Again I can spend more time with the kids as adults, visiting them at uni or going on city breaks etc.

Keep the flexibility. I had a high paying high stress job when I was a single parent to young children, it was just exhausting.

Flexibility wins for me. Sickness, school closures (weather, burst pipes, asbestos, etc) inset days, fixtures of primary school calendars (harvest festival, Christmas play, summer events, etc) all eat in to your time, and can be managed much more effectively if you have flexibility built in to your role.
Factoring in lunch, parking and travel costs eats in to the salary bump.
Can you negotiate with your current employer for a raise, commensurate with the new offer? Can't hurt to ask.

As a single mum with 2 kids in a similar earning bracket to you, I'd very much stick with the flexible option for now. I thankfully WFH and it makes life admin so much easier.