Higher salary or 10 mins from home?

[FenMaxwell]

I'm in a real mess about my work situation,
I currently work in a senior admin role for a consultancy. Money is excellent and most of the people are nice, I've been there 5 years so know my job well. It's a horrible commute and I spend 2.5 to 3 hours in the round trip by bus.
I've become increasingly fed up with this as my son is in Year 1 and by the time I get home he is winding down for bed time and I struggle to help him with his reading and spelling. Dh is great and picks him up from school and feeds him but I feel like I'm letting him down. My manager works from home and therefore I am expected to be in the office all the time.

I applied for a job last month at a local charity 10 minutes from me and had a first interview yesterday. It went well and the interviewer told me he wants to arrange a second interview. The money is £3k less than I'm on now but I think we could manage as I wouldn't be paying for bus fare or being tempted to spend money in the city centre which is where I work now. I don't want to waste anyones time but I'm worried I'm trying to back out for the wrong reasons.

I just can't decide if taking a pay drop is a really silly idea or whether I should jump at the chance to work closer to home. I also have had the confidence knocked out for me due to various things and I'm panicking about working somewhere new and whether I'll be any good,

Can anyone give me their view on what you would do?

For £3k less I'd grab it with both hands. Think of the time it would give you back!!!!

I would 100% take the closer job. Time with your kids when they're young is so precious, you can never get it back. Definitely worth a 3k wage drop for me

I’d see about the possibility of negotiating up if you get offered. See if they can match your current salary. It is a job seekers market, so you have nothing to lose.

What would be the impact on overall family income if you took the lower salary?

I would personally go for the charity role, and have the time back with your son, if you can afford to.

No brainer. Took a 50% pay cut to reduce my commute. Life’s too short and kids grow up quickly.

Take the new job! I would. £3k isn’t a lot over the course of a year.

For only £3k less definitely take it! That £3k is much less in your pocket after tax (assuming you pay tax on that portion of salary). You will get 10-15 hours back per week.

100% take the closer job.

Work out what the £3k will mean in net pay, then deduct the costs of travel, then see how much difference it’ll be a month. It won’t be much.

Also, if you’re offered the job, ask if they can match your current salary. Totally normal thing to negotiate on.

Are there other benefits to think about that may sway you? For example charity sector jobs often offer generous annual leave entitlements.

I would take the charity job, primarily for the extra time with your family, but also for the new challenge. I'm in a similar situation and have just accepted a pay cut to work locally.

Definitely the closer job. £3k is nothing in the long run, £250 a month before deductions. If you're full time you're spending 60 hours a month commuting, you're only getting just over £4 an hour for that commute. Fuck that!

£3k less a year is really not worth overthinking if it's going to transform your life which it sounds like it will, I'm sure many would be prepared to lose a lot more! You will save in bus fares but frankly time is much more valuable!

3k less without even having to think about it! How much does the bus cost every week? You'll probably only be a grand a year worse off if you take that into account which for an extra 12-15 hours a week of your time is well worth it

I was in a job where I was commuting 2/3 hours a day and spending a fortune on travel costs. I've now taken a job that's also £3k less than what I was earning and honestly I've never looked back!

Thank you for all your replies. I needed some encouragement. It's a lovely company by the sounds of it and they do lots of activities for staff for mental well-being, which is miles away from my current company.

I think it's just the change that's scaring me. I would get 3 hours of my day back and the decrease in salary wouldn't effect us too much. I was just having a wobble.

This is all assuming I get the job anyway. I could flunk the interview!

Your quality of life will improve so much by having the 10 min commute. Think of the time you save, and how much less tired you will be. No brainer imo.

Can you negotiate home working in your current role? I appreciate your manager isn't going to be keen, but if you say you are now actively looking at roles nearer to home, it gives them a chance to either accommodate you or lose you.

Otherwise definitely go for a role that is closer to home.

Sorry I should have added I now WFH. So it means I now get 3 hours of my day back :) so a very similiar situation to you.

People have actually done studies on this IIRC (but do Google) I believe it was US$10k per 30 minutes commute.

Well worth it!

No brainer, you pay minimum 20% tax on that so net you are down a maximum of 2400 or 200 a month factor in cost of transport so even less of a drop financially than 200 and a saving of 2.5-3 hours a day or 50-72 hours a month!

Definitely apply - you’ll never get this time back with your child. I’ve just taken a new job with a lower salary but no London commute so it actually works out more take home. Also, if successful you should negotiate on salary so you might be able to match or get closer to your current salary, assuming the job roles are similar.

I have always had a ‘rule’ that my commute will never be more than 30 minutes and never involve motorway driving….for the past 15 years I have had a 13 minute drive….down back lanes …not even one set of traffic lights…..I only go in work one day a week now but still grateful for my short commute….I would never prioritise money over a commute …… never

3 hours of your day x number of working days in the year (260) - so that's 780 hours a year just commuting, that's not worth 3k imo. Bus fare alone should help and time with your DC will feel better than a bus commute I'd imagine!

If you don’t get the new job I would try and
negotiate working home (at least some of the week) with your current job and say why. You are in a strong position. They may not want to lose you. That’s a lot of hours to be sat on a bus.

I used to commute for four hours a day. I now have a six minute walk to work but less money. Take the job close to home!

I would take the job closer to home . No consideration . Normally I give a caveat 'as long as you can meet all your bills/essentials' but I reckon you would save a lot on travel costs anyway . And the additional time is so important. 3 hours a day is huge . Time to spend with your son, and for yourself too. Plus - I bet you sometimes spend extra money on conveniences (eg prepared food or takeaways) because you tired with that long commute .

I agree. Go for the closer job