Would I be crazy to give up this job with these conditions because it's crap money?

[MushroomRisotto]

Sorry in advance as this will be long, but I am really struggling with this decision so looking for some impartial opinions!

I've been offered a new job which I really want to accept but I think the flexibility of my current job would make me crazy to give it up, despite the stresses of never having any money because it pays so low!

For context:
My current job is 20hrs per week (4hrs a day Mon-Fri - essentially a job share. This was the only option for me once DD started school as we have no family childcare support and and the low pay grade meant we couldn't afford to pay for full time wrap around care)

It pays just above min. wage so we have just enough to get by with bills paid, but have no savings, can’t afford to pay into pension or afford any enjoyable things in life. (Holidays/house improvements/bigger house/better car etc.) Plus we have a bit of credit card debt I am desperate to clear.

It's not challenging or exciting, I don't have any ownership of anything, don't feel very appreciated and there's no opportunity to progress in this role.

Colleagues are ok, but I don't gel very well with my management team and they make life and job difficult sometimes, but it's not an unbearable environment. It's all just OK but nothing more than that.

However:
The job itself is fine, basic admin work but no real stresses come with it and feel I have a good work/life balance.

It is completely remote, I can WFH with no obligation to be in the office unless I want to.
I can do all school runs, have quality time with DD after school, no childcare costs, be home with the dog all day, can prep dinner, keep on top of housework (not totally tied to computer/meetings)
School holidays are not such an issue as DD is old enough to occupy herself for a few hours at a time if needed while I WFH.

DH works full time, but on a low paying wage compared to most people his age. However his company cover his fuel costs to work which is a big saving (30-45 min drive each way)
He is out the house 7.30-5.30 Mon-Fri and absolutely no flexibility in his job. (Cannot WFH and no option of reduced hours, it's full time or nothing) All the money earned is one household pot but as my decision about this new job has no impact on his job/salary it's by the by.

I've been offered a real once in a lifetime new job that I would love and be good at which has the below conditions:

9-5 Monday-Friday
Office based 100% of the time, no opportunity for any flexibility at all.
(I have asked for part time hours, compressed hours, partly remote from home etc. It's just not possible due to the nature of the job, someone needs to be physically there within those office hours and would always need to be covered if I was off for example)

It is a very independent role, lots of scope for ownership, developing my own systems and ways of working, it's exciting, challenging, management level role but do not have to manage a team of people. (Which I don’t really want to do) and only report in to one person who I already know.
Not too sure yet how much opportunity there will be to progress/promotion/pay rise etc. but I don't imagine much scope for this.

Salary is another 1.5 times what I earn currently but obviously come out with less comparatively due to tax, pension etc.

To accept this job, DD would need to go to wrap around care/childminder every day after school, and I would also need to employ a dog walker, factor in cost of petrol to office etc.
Rough numbers for those takes off 1/4 of the bring home salary.

So best case scenario, I'd be working twice the hours for an extra 25% of what I currently earn in my pocket each month.

I just don't know whether to accept the job which will limit so much what I can do day to day and if the extra stress will be worth it. (Not the stress of the job because it will actually be a very care free role!)

But having to rush about all the time, collect DD and get home, sort dinner, housework (all of which would obviously be split 50/50 with DH if I take the role)
Not having as much time with DD (she doesn't do any after school clubs or have any interest in doing so despite our very keen encouragement) so that part isn't an issue at the moment.

WWYD in this scenario?

Personally I wouldn't take it. A 25% uplift is neither here nor there compared to the stress of having to work remotely, child in childcare for the first time, working full time. If you had said double the salary it would be worth it but currently no

I think you need to sit and work out your takehome pay as accurately as you can (plenty of salary calculators online that will account for tax, NI and pension contributions - you can also compare two salaries). Then calculate the real cost of childcare, dog walking, petrol etc etc if you take the new job. You may find yourself not much better off, more stressed, more tired and with less time to spend with DD because all those jobs you did in the week now need to be done in the evenings and weekends.

I recently saw a role that doesn’t come up very often. It would have meant an extra £400-500ish a month coming in if I’d got it. But it would have been office based with travel and overnights. So I would have had to put both kids back into after school childcare, and pay for the dog to go somewhere each day as she wouldn’t cope with a full day alone. Commuting alone would have been over £200 a month, just having a dog walker (not daycare) would have been £40/week, and that was before I added extra childminding before and after school. I would have had to go back to leaving the house at 6 and not getting back til 7. My current job has just decided we can WFH and only go into the office if we need to in future. I decided it wasn’t worth applying! But if the role comes up in future when the children are in high school I would probably go for it as the cost/benefit balance would shift.

My youngest was 7 when I went back to work full time (having previously had a 4 hours a day part time job). I think it's a year or 2 on the young side of being ideal, which means that you only probably have a year or 2 of it being very hard because you start to reap the rewards.

It's interesting that your post title focuses on money whereas for me I think the main attraction would be the challenge and the job progression. If you're anything like me, you're just starting to come out of the phase where looking after young children is just exhausting and you feel you have a bit of energy to pursue something for yourself.

So, in an ideal world, I'd say take a job like this in a year or so's time, but if you think there may not be other opportunities, I'd take it, with the view that the next year will be hard but it will get better soon.

One thing I did with my DC when I went back to work is to speak frankly about how it would change their lives - not just the going to wrap around care, but the fact that I would have less time and that I'd rather spend that time doing fun things than washing and hunting for reading books. If you've not already done so, make your DC in charge of things like packing their own bag, making their own breakfast, putting their own clothes in the wash, checking they have clean uniform (not 5 minutes before we have to go ...) ... Basically small things that make your life simpler if you don't have to worry about them yourself.

I’d really crunch the numbers, dog Walker, childminder all adds up. Holiday care costs need to be factored in too. Not sure if 25% more would be worthwhile.nice to be able to do extracurricular stuff after school like swimming lessons to keep the weekend free.

Pension and potential for increased hourly wage - what's the impact on both of these?

Against pp but no I wouldn't take it.

A part time totally remote role is so hard to come by!

But I personally could never do 5 days in an office. I've WFH for 10 years for at least 3 days a week and I would never go back.

I just turned down a 'good opportunity' with more money, because I could see the felixibility I need wouldn't be there.

I've gone from an office job with total flexibility to one with none whatsoever. You mention in your OP - cover would need to be found if you were not in the office in person - it's exactly the same scenario here with me. I can't tell you enough how much I miss the flexibility I had and it will be high on my agenda when I look for my next role.

What did you do OP ?

I’m too ambitious to stay in the sort of job you’re currently in, so would take the new job.

I'd stay where you are op you have so much flexibility , use the time between now and your daughter going to high school to seriously beef up your professional development , courses , qualifications and then you will have more opportunities and no wraparound care to worry about x do what works best for you and your family x

I would take the job. There is so little going for your current job and you need to start thinking of your future. Staying where you are is less scary but you won't grow at all and financially it isn't doing future you any favours.

I'd definitely take it. How are you ever going to improve your life unless you are prepared to work for it?
You say your current job has no stress...that's because you're doing very few hours. I'd find being skint much more stressful. Besides, with some extra experience, you might find an even better paid job.
I think you get out of life what you work for.

I wouldn’t take the job

WFH has many advantages with child sickness, dog, not travelling, school holidays

I’d look for something else that does fit inbetween, wfh but 9-5 and more interesting

You will still be able to do school role but get someone to drop dd off after school etc

Take the job and then in 2 years use that experience to find a better paying part time role or once you are settled and they can see how productive you are request that yiur hours are compressed. Good luck. Either way you will be fine but try and look long term.

I personally would, and have, stayed with part time lower admin wages rather than put two small kids into full time holiday care. Same(ish) age as your daughter. After and before school care ok, full days holiday care every single day, no.

We don't have any family or friends to look after my twins so full day holiday care would be the only option for every school holiday (with myself and husband taking random separate annual leave days here and there to allow the boys to have home days/small visits to fun activities).

The boys have grown so quickly already that I know before we know it they'll be much more independent and me going back to full time work won't be an issue.

Yes we don't have a lot but I adore being with the boys whilst they're young over the long school holidays. Letting them lie in, stay up a bit later, have no place to rush off to, just hanging out and doing what we please each day.

This works for us...for now. It's not a forever situation. It may not work for many others, including you but it's a choice we've made and have been very happy with it.

I would be suspicious at the lack of flexibility at all (what happens if the kids are ill or need to go to a doc app unexpectedly).
Alarm bells are ringing for me with how they have said you can develop how you want. Is this code for "you are going to be doing everything that does need doing whilst your here even if not specifically your job and give us good ideas that won't be implemented because of budgets"
You're being sold a dream that night be a nightmare in reality.

I have always worked full time out of the house and spent a fortune on childcare and dog walkers and missed countless assemblies, craft days, parental involvement sessions etc. I love my career, but it is a lot of sacrifice. I moved roles from a higher paying job that was a lot more responsibility because it was eating into my evenings and Weekends because I had to make sure stuff was done and quite frankly it was a 2 person job at least. Post Covid I wouldn't go back to full time office work until at least all my kids are at secondary-there are now so many alternatives. I still use wraparound/breakfast club most days (but have more DC than you) but I do drop off at least 1 day too and Im there to help with homework etc. For me, the commute was often way longer than it should have been (either train or car) and looking back was a massive stress every day. is your new job very niche or is there a possibility something similar with more flexibility? I also have a very supportive DH who already works part time but I naturally take the mental load for the kids of remembering PE days, lunches, uniforms etc. I can do some of this stuff at lunchtime At home now which also makes evenings less manic. Small things, but have all added up for me.

I have been in your position, but as a single parent it was a lot harder for me. I ended up staying in a job for 7 years because it had complete flexibility whilst my dc were young, now they're older I have just started a new job with fantastic pay and it will ultimately change our lives. I don't have to pay for any childcare as they go to and from school by themselves.
At the time i wasn't miserable but wasn't happy either, but I knew it wouldn't be forever, I'm glad I stuck it out as I got to be there for everything my dc done when much younger, something I wouldn't have been able to do in my new role.

So I would say stick it out for a little longer until your dd is a bit older then go for another job, or maybe try looking for another part time role to boost your salary to help out.

I think, as someone who works part time around school hours, I'd look either for another wfh job, as they offer flexibility, or a job with a substantial element of or I would look at how you could increase your income in other ways. For example, evening work. Or look at gaining some qualifications that would mean you could step up with the type of salary roles you're looking at.

This.

I'd take the job. The financial benefit now is smaller but likely to grow compared to staying where you are.

I use holiday clubs and occaisionally grandparents used to care for dc pre covid. It's normal for most people.

You and DH both get statutory time off caring for dependants dealing with the odd day of sickness although you might find your work will let you WFH if it's that or take unpaid leave to care for sick child.

Hours are 9 to 5 which is easy!

You will have more holiday as you work full time. You and DH will also be able to take leave to spend with her in the holidays.