I know it's my decision, but really need viewpoints of others

[achangeisgonnacome]

This is long and rambly, so please bear with me.

I posted a few months back about a new job that wasn't working out. Despite raising concerns, it got so bad and I was so stressed that I began applying for other jobs.

Whilst doing this, I was offered a sideways move which took me away from hated role into one potentially more 'me'. Same dept, just a different team. This was dressed up as you're fitting in so well already and wouldn't want to see you leave etc etc. Started this at beginning of November, but a week in and I was admitted to hospital. Have now been discharged, but have been signed off till December. I have only been in the new role for just one week.

Here's my dilemma. Having applied for other jobs, I have now been offered one back at my old workplace. Got the call today.

When I was in hated job, i would have accepted the old workplace offer in a heartbeat. But now I'm not sure what to do.

Pros to going back to old work place:

1/2 hr walk to work/10 min drive
role is familiar to me (but has additional responsibilities)
in case of emergencies, the office is local to mum/hospital (she's mid 80s, prone to falls and has a range of health problems)
can wfh 3/4 days pw
opportunities to do OT

cons:
lower pay (by approx 2500 even taking into account lack of fares)
would have to work 5 days pw (currently only 4)
uncertain future (Local Govt)

Pros to staying with newish job (only one week in):

potentially more interesting/challenging
better pay
long term future assured (as much as it's Civil Service)

Cons:
1 1/2 hr commute each way
12/13 hr days
occasional travel at short notice
expectation to be 'on' the whole time.

I veer from one to the other and cannot decide. Would it be wrong to go back? The role is unlikely to come up again, but from a 'career' pov, it's a backward step. Theres a lot to be said for the local aspect though, esp with my DM and so on.

Advice please oh lovely MNers.

Why did you leave the previous job ?

There was a restructure and roles within the dept were being deleted.

No redundancy was being offered so I decided to look elsewhere. Thought CS would be a better bet than remaining in LG.

Now six months later, new roles have been developed/created and this is what has come up.

Going through something similar. Moved to a new job at a new company - hated it and was moved sideways to a more suited role to stop me from leaving. This role also isn’t ideal for me and I’ve reached my limit of trying to love it. Now looking elsewhere, including at my old company.

The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Would you have left your old job if the restructured hadn’t happened? Will there be opportunities to progress in the old company?

Also, how do you feel about the new, new role? Appreciate you haven’t been in it for very long at all, but what is your gut feel?

violetrose all I can say is is that I feel the new, new role has potential. This is simply based on the few days I was there and I need to be careful it's not just relief that I'm feeling, being away from hated job.

I'm also scared of losing the opportunity offered to me back at my old workplace, with some of the familiarilty that brings. But then I swing back to ' well you haven't given the new new job a chance' and so it goes on.

Probably not much in the way of progression, but that's not something I'm too fussed about, being of a certain age and all that...

Are they both permanent positions?

3 hour daily commute, no wfh, longer daily hours all for £2500?

The actual salary difference is almost £6000.

but taking cost of fares out of the equation, salary difference is £2500

Do you think that the problems with the new job will also exist in the new, new job? As they are in the same department, it could be reasonable to think that some aspects e.g culture, red tape, people issues, are the same.

If you think that these problems won’t still exist then if it were me, I would give it a chance. However I’m very much a “what if” person and I would constantly be wondering what could have been, if I left

Ok was it the company culture,role or colleagues you didn't like in new job 1st role?

I think youve mind almost made up?

I have to say, looking at both lists, the old job seems better than the new one. A 3 hour commute in public transportation, each day sounds really exhausting. 12/13 hour days does also not sound like fun. Basically you'd be living at work and only come home to sleep and maybe recover a little during the weekends, when you will likely be too tired and too busy with household chores to really enjoy those two free days.

Can you afford a pay-cut of 2500 pounds? That's an awful lot of money. Will you end up struggling financially, because that would definitely be a no for me. Otherwise I would seriously consider the job at your old employer, because it sounds a lot better.

Agree with previous OP, 3 hour daily commute would put me right off

How accurate are those salary checkers online? I've just calc'd both salaries using MSE and there's not a lot in it.

But even with that, something is making me hesitate from accepting the local job? It's almost a stubbornness to see the other job through, if that makes sense

Forget about seeing a job through to the bitter end, so to speak.

Look at the pay and conditions of each job objectively and decide where would you rather be this time next year all things considered.

The new job sees you away from home for 60 hours and the old one is what 45hours. In relation to your time are you getting somewhere in region of £3.50per hour more in new job? Around 60-70 hours a month for a little over £200 extra. If you need the money stay in new job. If not the take old job. These things always seem easy to an outsider looking in, I am sure there are numerous factors on play in your situation. O hope you are happy whatever path you choose.

Perhaps calculate the hourly rate, including the cost of travel per day. The better paying job, might not be that much better paid if at all.

Update: I accepted the local job this morning

Thanks to all for the advice.

Congrats!

And good luck with your new old job.