AIBU to be torn over a job offer - NHS

[Squeak4]

I work for the NHS full time, taking home around £2,400 a month.

I’ve just been offered a 3-day highly specialist Band 7 role in London…. I genuinely didn’t think I’d get it and now have to decide by the end of today!!!!

The problem is that because it’s only 3 days, my take-home would be much less, so I can’t actually afford to do it on its own.

Ideally, my dream would be to do the new job 3 days and stay with my current role for 2 days (I currently have a specialism one day a week).
However, I asked about reducing to 2 days and my manager said it would be very difficult, would require a formal flexible working application which could take a long time and might be rejected. She also said that if I did drop to two days, I likely have to stop doing my specialism and use those days for community to help the service.

Also, my supervisor said she’s hoping to build me a 2-day Band 7 role by the end of the year, which I would love. This is unlikely if I take the role :(. But I’m worried that if I stay, I’ll end up being Band 7 for 2 days and Band 6 community for 3 days indefinitely.

I also don’t hugely enjoy my current community caseload, but love my development role.

The current job does have huge advantages: flexibility, WFH, easy hours, and although the 45-minute drive each way is annoying, London will mean a longer/more complicated commute. Also, I absolutely ADORE my team they are all so lovely.

I’m just completely torn.
I genuinely cannot see the right answer. Also, I have about 6 hours to make a decision…. What would you do?

Your team will move on. You must have been interested in the role on offer to have applied for it, surely?
Accept the role, take bank shifts nearer to home and see what happens, would be my advice. I think bank work us pretty much guaranteed, especially going into winter.

Stay where you are then.

If you’re wanting to buy a house, 100% stay in your current role until you’ve done that!
I would feel that if I was 50/50, it wouldn’t be worth the risk and dropping money at a time when you want your income to be as high as possible

You need to get your flexible working request in on your current role asap. They cannot take ‘forever’. Legally they have 3 months to let you know, and they cannot arbitrarily reject it either. There are strict guidelines

Tell them you've been offered another job and see what they suggest.

Now is not the time to be reducing your income if you are planning to buy your first home. A significant reduction in income could significantly jeopardise your house purchase plans. Keeping a good record of consistent income is integral to the mortgage process going to plan, it is a tough process for most first time buyers. Your finances will be scrutinised even if you have a healthy deposit and taking a 2 day income cut could affect your ability to borrow the desired amount. You will be so glad that you remained in your role once you have purchased your house. This should matter more than a public sector job who would replace you within a month if anything happened to you.

If you accept the new role, you will be on a lengthy probation period, which will automatically make you ineligible for a mortgage. Band 7 roles within the NHS are also like gold dust. So many experienced people are desperate to go from a 6 to a 7. There is so much red tape with all nursing vacancies, I would not take any manager's word that they will make you a band 7. The interviews are so stringent, objective and points based that that there is every chance that an external candidate with equal experience could be offered the role your manager is promising by scoring more points than you. Accept that you might be a band 6 for longer, but with a steady income and the ability to WFH which is also gold dust within the NHS.

If you're serious about buying a house do not change jobs

The fact that you’ve immediately come back with this very much suggests that deep down you were hoping to be told to stay where you are. Often it’s not until we get an answer that we realise it wasn’t the one we wanted. Good luck whatever you decide.

Where roughly are you based? Do you have children etc. to worry about pick ups? I commute a couple of times a week and it's fine but when there are cancellations/delays it can be a nightmare. Door to door for me is about 1hr30+
I would consider staying just to avoid commuting!
Alos have you considered travel costs, my daily commute if £40+ a day!

You need to think how likely it is that she'd follow through and get you the job. Everyone's had a promise of something when they threaten (don't mean that badly, but it's sometimes how it's perceived) to walk, but some places can't or won't do it.

So I’ve since found out that the London role is 2 days in office, 1 day WFH.

If it was full time I’d probably take it, but bank or private work is never guaranteed and I want the security

What attracted you to this new job in the first place?

I would stay where you currently are, that makes most sense to me

It’s a very niche field which rarely has specialist roles going. I was emailed about it as I was interested in the past

I guess that does change things. Can you ask for an extra day to work out your decision?

is there any chance that the new role could turn full time? Say you’ve looked at your figures and to make it work you’d really need FT and is there any option that it will be in future? At least then you have asked and if it’s a no they won’t be surprised if you turn it down.

if your aim is to buy a house over career progression then I’d go with the more secure income. Progression will come when it’s the right time and your manager obviously sees something in you.

edited to add: just read your last post- if the niche specialism won’t come up again and it’s something that will bring you more joy and you can push back the property buying then that’s your answer.

its always hard to leave a good team, its sad but don’t let other people stand in the way of what is right for you.

Exactly. I work in the NHS and I would not trust any promise of extra pay or funding for new roles. Everything has been frozen in my trust and posts are being cut monthly.

To be fair in my current role, it was a band 6 to develop a specialism as that band 7 was leaving soon. She is now leaving in December so it does create a role for me (I’ll essentially take her job).

It sounds like you really want to stay and will regret moving.

Can't really see why you are torn.stsy put. See what unfolds.

How difference would the exact salary be? I would have thought take home for 3 days on band 7 would be there or thereabouts 2.4 anyway? Surely you would only need 1-2 bank shifts a month to make up the difference? And you will have 8 weekdays and weekends with flexibility to find bank shifts.

She may have to fight to keep the B7 post though (or she would at our Trust, hopefully you are somewhere which can manage their money better!) We’ve had posts out to advert which we’ve pulled, and we had to fight tooth and nail to replace our recent B7 vacancy. Having said all of that, job progression isn’t everything and job satisfaction means a lot, and you seem to love your job still which is lovely to hear! I think I’d maybe just make sure you’d be happy staying at your b6 if you stay, and if the b7 happens well that’s even better

Never rely on new roles being created in the NHS. Can take years - literally. Plus a new role might appear, go out to advert and someone else get it.

I feel invested now. What did you decide?

Never assume that you will be handed a band 7 or that there is a guarantee it is yours. There is every chance that somebody external who is experienced in the same field will score higher than you on the interview checklist and therefore could be offered the role. I have seen people blindsided by this far too many times.