torn between 2 jobs

[Annteeta]

I have a huge dilemma as I have been offered 2 jobs and really don't know which to go for. 1 is NHS admin 18 miles from home. Good holidays, pension, flexitime. They tend to have a people centred pastoral care approach but I am concerned that the whole institution is being carved up at the moment. The other is private sector,8 miles away, similar basic salary but additional quarterly bonus that has paid 75% on top of basic salary for the last 7 years. Not guaranteed but this is a substantial pay difference. Would have to take private sector pension and possible sickness insurance. Minimum holidays.
Any thoughts?

Difficult one.

NHS job likely to be more child friendly, but you will earn a lot more at the private sector one. Private sector CAN be horrendous to working mothers (there is no-one to stop an unsympathetic boss from making your leife hell). Larger companies tend to be better in this respect than smaller ones as bosses are usually accountable to some degree for their behaviour. But then again most private sector employers are fine, it's just difficult to tell before you start.

regarding the pension, you can always put your bonuses into a private pension and emergency fund to be used if you need to leave.

Also much shorter journey to private sector job, which is important when you need to pick up kids.

On balance, I would go for the private sector job and use the extra pay to build up your pension and emergency fund.

Thanks. Kids grown so they are out of the equation

Check the T&C re the bonus very carefully.

I've taken jobs where you expect a bonus, you arrive there and it turns out the bonus has never been paid. At one company they laughed when I asked about it - despite the managers going on and on about the bonus scheme in the interview, they must have known it was never paid! This was because the bonus was only paid if the team hit 120% of its target or something, which never happened.

Check what the bonus depends on (individual performance, department performance, company performance) and also ask how often it was paid in the last year if quarterly/monthly, or in the last 5 years if yearly.

Even if this gives good news, bonus schemes IME change every year (last year our team was one of the few to get our bonus, they promptly changed the scheme so this year we are more dependent on the rest of the division). 75% of salary is a huge amount, but I wouldn't make anything other than short-term plans on the back of it. Remember, it's a bonus because you can't depend on it - it is not your salary for a reason.

Sorry to be gloomy :)

I would say the private sector one sounds better just because of the shorter journey, and also the organization may be more stable than an NHS one in the process of being "carved up".

Good luck and congratulations on both offers!

Sorry I just re-read, you said the bonus has been paid for last 7 years. It's a very good track record...but past performance does not guarantee future performance etc. :)

Its a bit of a niche market in engineering and the company is a US one that has been around for 90 years. I am told such a pay structure i.e. with a large bonus component, is common in US companies. The NHS may be an 'easier' option in terms of job content but I'm not convinced that that is a good reason to take it.

My employer is US-headquartered, this one is better than the previous one, but they do still change the bonus scheme around - although in general it keeps paying out.