Need help deciding...

[ThreeBecameFour]

Going back to work after mat leave 2. My old employer has agreed a 4 day week with one of those days from home and adjusted hours. Have been in this role for 5 years and it is no longer challenging.

I have an interview for another job. More interesting, slightly more challenging. Will agree to a 4 day week with adjusted hours but no day working from home.

I have a 9 mo and a 3 yo.

What route would you choose? Stick to what you know so less stress or do something which would be a little more challenging? Kids would still be in day care the same amount of time in either job. Same pay, new job just loses 3 days a/l, but other benefits are the same. It just means a bit more stress getting to know a new organisation etc etc. All hypothetical at the moment as haven't been to interview or been offered new job but just mulling things over...

What would you do?

My commute is stupid long, so the WFH day would be very valuable to me. Weighted against that would be how interesting I found the existing job and the new one.

I wouldn't worry about the settling in period. It might be harder for a while, but you will settle, and the years of working after that will overshadow the settling in period very quickly.

So, is your curren job boring? Is the new one very much more interesting (and for how long would it be so)? How long is your commute?

Maybe those questions will help you to decide?

New job would knock about an hour off my 3 hour commute a day. It would be far more interesting and up my street. But that day working from home in old job would help with home life. I guess I am struggling with keeping things simple for home life or going for what I personally want. I have been in this industry for nearly 15 years (not in my current role obviously. If I am honest if I hadn't had the kids I would have looked for a new job 1-2 years into my current role as it has never been 'right'). It is the age old trying to balance things as a woman argument

Still interested in what people would do in my shoes though...

Hi,

Could you not stay in your present job but ask for more challenging work/extra responsibility?
It sounds like it is swings and roundabouts...travelling will be cut a little but you will lose you working from home day.

Might sound a bit weird but imagine yourself in a few months time and you are working in one of the jobs. What can you see and hear? How does it feel?

Then repeat for the others job. Sometimes it's good to let your subconscious let you know what the answer is....