Job dilemma.

[Flickoffboris]

I'm a part time HCP in NHS. Part time jobs with set days are like hens teeth, I'm band 7.

I have a very boring job that I mostly do from home, with phone calls / occasional visits. It's hugely flexible, I can put washing on, do the school run etc, but fuck it's boring. I'm sometimes under employed, and can't always fill my time (ridiculous I know).

A job has come up, same hours, same band. I'd have a good chance of getting it. It would be hospital based, really full on, and not at all flexible, so I'd need to take leave to see a school assembly etc.

I can see the pros and cons of both roles, but I can't quantity how important WFH / flexibility is to me, as I'm so used to it (since I've gone back from mat leave / Covid hit, so really embedded now).

Shall I suck up my boredom til the dc are older then apply for any job I fancy, or shall I go for this one now? Anyone got a crystal ball?

Will you get a pay rise if you get the new role? If not, I'd stick with your current role and reap the flexibility rewards.

Is there a chance leave would be refused so you would miss school assemblies/ sports days?

There’s something to be said about flexibility OP. I think for a mum with youngish children it’s so high up the list of important ‘qualities’ in a job.

I’m in a very similar situation. Bored to tears BUT can drop my kids off every day (back in the day when they used to be at school) and pick them up a couple of days. Now that we’re equipped to WFH I imagine there will be even more flexibility when we do eventually go back to the office.

I’ll chase the career when my kids are more self-sufficient.

Firstly, how close to secondary are your DC? When they get to that point, I really wanted a satisfying job.
Secondly would it improve your prospect of promotion in the longer term?

There a lot to be said for job satisfaction but way up if you could mange with out the flexibility and with one is more secure.
I'd worry about being under employed in your current role band 7 can go up to the 44k mark so if they are looking at budgets thats where they'll look .

Ok, same band so no pay rise; just a side step. How old are the kids; so you want to be around at school drop offs, collections. What about the next time there is home schooling/lockdown. Does the new position offer different skills/career progression? Can you ask for more work in current position if it's not engaging enough? Will need job allow any home working or it's it all on site. Lots to weigh up.

Thank you all, lots to think about.

The underemployment is probably the wrong word. My work is quite niche and caseload based, sometimes all the stars align and everything is smooth, other times there is far too much work, it's feast or famine really.

My children are very young, 5 and 2, so there will be many years of assemblies, needing to be collected from school due to a grazed knee or whatever, I'm swaying towards the flexibility of WFH. Plus if further lockdowns are an inevitability I'd prefer to be WFH for them.

However, I had my dc quite late on, I'm 41, and I'm worried if I "coast" for too many years I'll be written off a bit and / or lose my love for the career / NHS.

I can understand your concerns, have you had a chat to the line manager of the potential new role, to see if there is any scope for a flexible work pattern? There may well be more scope than you imagine. I am sure you are aware even hospital based roles have undergone huge change as a result of Covid, and some of this will continue for a good while yet.

Do you have a partner? Can they attend school assemblies etc? You are already part time so can make some of them... which is more than people who work full time or are teachers at different schools to their children.

Thanks for the further replies.
@chateauMargaux yes I have a partner, his role involves domestic and international travel in normal times, so we decided I'd go p/t and be the main parent (clunky wording, but I can't think of another way to phrase it). Yes I do make school events on my days off, but my salary reflects that of course.
@lightsareonnobodyshome I have spoken to the manager, he said there would be some flexibility but as the role would involve being point of contact for my speciality I imagine there would be lots of meetings, the timings of which would likely be beyond my control. Plus the commute to the city centre hospital etc.... I'm really swayed towards staying where I am and counting myself lucky I have a job.

If it were me, I'd stay where you are. Flexiblity is so under-rated until you lose it, which is way worse than never having had it because then you don't know what you had, iykwim.

How long would your commute be? Would it be such that you effectively end up working full time hours by the time you factor in drop off and pick up?

I read somewhere years that being able to walk to work improves your quality of life by the equivalent of £5k per year. That’s in addition to money saved on commuting costs. It’s reflecting things like how much extra time you have, lower stress levels, ability to nip home if you forget something.

So maybe think of WFH as being similar to that?
That’s also a least ten years ago now I heard being described as being worth at extra £5k, so maybe take a base of £8-10k and pro-rate it to your hours.

Factor in any additional commuting costs you’d incur in new job and then then compare how much you’d get with new job and old job. Are the additional opportunities of the new job worth “losing” that money equivalent?

I think there are compromises in many of the choices we make and if we know what they are and consciously make those choices, it makes it easier. Then we need to remember to celebrate the positives of the choices we make. So if you stay put, make the most of those school runs, assemblies and plays as well as being able to be in your own home and if you change, take time to embrace the challenges the work brings and remind yourself what you and your family are getting out of the job. In both cases, try not to dwell on the what might have beens until you are in a position to make a change in the future.