Need to decide quickly between two jobs- stressed

[Hairy09]

Job 1- onboarding completed, due to start next Tuesday 4th- office-based middle management role.
Pros: office hours Monday to Friday, leadership experience which could lead to future progression.
Cons: will be part of a team, worried about office politics, micromanagement, bullying, toxic environments, unreasonable workload and so on. May all be fine, or may be not. Will need to do weekly overtime to make up the salary I need.

Job 2- palliative/end of life care in the community. Pros: what I want to do, rewarding. More independent, no 'manager' as such, fully on the road, higher pay than role 1.
Cons: 0 hours contract but been told over 40 hours a week is average. Alternative weekend working. Don't have the leadership but I can complete an NVQ 3 and eventually work up to a 5.

No idea what to do. I'd be messing Job 1 about as I'm meant to start, so I need to decide ideally today. I've realised what sounds better on paper isn't necessarily the role which makes you happiest, I'm also now very sensitive to micromanagement, cliques and toxic environments and I'm reluctant to work full-time in an office again.

Any advice?

Job 2 it sounds like thats the one you really want to do

I haven't signed an agreement with job 1 but as I say I've got a start date, I know they'll understandably be very pissed.

I think wether or not you have kids(potential childcare issues on weekends), and if you can afford a 0 hour contract are really relevant to this decision

I'm reluctant to work full-time in an office again.

So why is role 1 a contender? Is it that you just want strangers to give you permission to do the role you want to do?

Do the role you want to do.

No kids but hoping to in next couple of years.

I just may be overreacting, because role 1 is better on paper and it may be totally fine.

And the financial aspect?

They have assured me that there are consistently over 40 hours a week available and always overtime if needed.

It’s hard because Role 2 could potentially bring in £0 if they don’t give you any hours for a week here, a week there etc.
How much flexibility do you have in terms of “I’ve had no hours for 4 weeks and no wage coming in…”? Do you have any savings? Can your partner afford to pick up the slack? How quickly would you need to leave/look for another job?

Also, with wanting children in the next couple of years, you’d benefit from at least one of you being home at the weekend unless you have solid support from other friends/family. Nurseries aren’t open on the weekends and most childminders aren’t either, so could you afford a private Nanny?

Can you manage without your wage if you decide to take the second job? Zero hours can mean zero hours, despite verbal assurances. Can you not take the first job as a temporary measure until the 2nd job comes up again with guaranteed hours?

But they are reserving the right to drop your hours down, or they wouldn’t give a 0 hour contract. So it’s worth considering that, and if mileage is realistic etc. If you can take the risk financially go for job 2

Verbal assurance is very different to a signed 30 hour contract with overtime.
There’s a reason they’re only offering a 0 hour contract.

I wouldn't risk the 0 hours contract, no way. If they're so sure of 40 hours pw, why isn't there a decent contract with a number of hours? Because they have all the power and you'll have none. Screw that. A lot of your fears about job 1 are all imagined and worst case scenario. Lots of offices are perfectly fine.

You really don't sound like you want job one - this is head over heart dilemma isn't it? The main sticking point seems to be the money - you'd have to do overtime to hit your preferred take home in the first role and in the second you are simply not guaranteed the hours - zero hours contracts are the pits.

But contrary to others on here, I would go for the second job and I say that as someone who has only ever worked in roles which are in the service of others, because even on the difficult days you are doing something that matters. Go for number two and look to build it into the career that you want, as per your referencing the NVQ training. Also see if they offer ILM as that's good for leadership. See if they will let you have an informal chat with other people doing the job so that you can see if this 40 hours thing is a myth or reality first.

Good luck.

job 2 sounds better!

I agree with this too.

If they are saying the hours are consistently 40+ then that is NOT a genuine zero hours (aka Casual) contract and I'd be suspicious they are cutting other sorts of corners in relation to employment law and staff benefits. Casuals are 'workers' not employees and there is a legal difference.

In casual contracts there is no 'mutuality of obligation' meaning they are not obligated to offer you work (and you don't have to accept it). They are legitimate in a lot of settings where staffing needs fluctuate a lot or the work is very short term, but this doesn't sound like that if the work is consistent and ongoing. Being a casual means that they could just up and stop your shifts altogether at any time, or cut them down or whatever and you have suddenly have no income. Can you take that risk?

Also what are the other benefits for each job - such as annual leave, paid bank holidays, sick leave, employer pension scheme contributions etc? Usually casual contracts are statutory only whereas most perm jobs have something more generous.

I'd only take a casual contract if you genuinely want that type of flexibility (e.g. to turn down work if you have other commitments) AND can afford the risks of the hours being cut or removed with virtually no notice.

Your worries about the other job presumably are based on previous experience and may well be unnecessary. You can also always resign and leave if it does start going that way.

Edited to add: @pinkdelight put it much better and more succinctly than me!

I'd go for job 1, it reads like a no-brainer to me! If you're planning to have a family you surely don't want to be on 0 hours? How would that work for maternity leave?
The issues you are worried about re office politics could happen in any working environment.

I wouldn't go to job 2 on a zero-hours contract.

Sounds similar to the decision @3cats00had to make

Trust your gut and do what makes you happy now. You’ll thrive and serve others better.

If the first role is intriguing you, why not try it for six months? You might love it. If you don't though, you aren't signed up for life, or messing anyone around by leaving.

Would the flexible zero-hours contract mean you can likely join the second role later anyway?

In my experience, this is life, it happens all the time. Not everyone is lucky enough to find a job that suits them for life.

Stress steals your joy, so do put yourself first and keep an eye on the signs in whichever role / route you take. You can always make changes (either within your role, or move to a different role) further down the line.

All the best whatever you do, you sound caring, considerate and conscientious, and will be an asset wherever you go :-)

To me job 1 is such the obvious choice that you must really want to go with job 2. I know you want children soon but right now you don't, so I think it's a good time to take the job you really want. You might regret taking it but I think you're more likely to regret not.

Is Job 1 in palliative/EOLC too? Or health? Or something completely different?

Are they both NHS?

I would say, as someone who works with someone in Job 2, do not underestimate the stress of Job 2...