What would you do? Jobs

[RoyKentDreamMan]

I need some outside perspective:

Current Job:
Pay £32k pa
Full time 37 hours with Flexitime (core hours 10-3)
30 days holiday with Christmas shutdown (not taken out of allowance)
1-2 days WFH
Civil Service Pension
Job is boring. I am bored. It’s not challenging and there is little prospect.

Job Offer
Pay £42k pa
Full time 37 hours no flexitime
25 days holiday (can purchase 4 more)
No Christmas shutdown (I would have to book it off)
Office based with flexibility on rare occasion
Crap pension
Job seems to be more challenging and exciting - will look better on CV.

Early 30’s, have two (under 4) children. WFH isn’t a deal breaker but it’s helpful. DH works from home and sets his own time. Have lots of outside help (nursery/family)

Basically is £10k enough to give up all the benefits of the current role? I keep going round and round £10k is a lot of money but the benefits are priceless at times. I need to decide by Monday!

Loose calculations suggest that the loss of holidays and Christmas shutdown is worth £1000ish. Pension (assuming 5% vs 20%) is about £4k. So your payrise is actually around £5k. Take off tax, NI etc the extra take home will probably be less than £300 a month.

Is that worth it to lose flexibility etc? Obviously more interesting job, good for cv so you could always stick it out for a year or so if necessary then look for something else if it doesn't work out.

I left a job I'd been doing for 10 years for a step up in responsibility but not actually that much more money. It was a great decision for me. I enjoy my work and feel challenged and valued.

It wouldn’t be for me. Flexibility is my number one. But it depends on your personal situation? Do you need the money?

I don’t need the money, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want it

I just can’t decide. I want to challenge but I love the flexibility. If the job offer had one or two more benefits I would snap their hands off.

if it’s good for your CV like you say, take it up. Then look at moving again after a few years. It might be the step you need to take to open more doors.

I’d keep your pension tbh.

I would take the new role, I did something similar recently and I love being challenged which I definitely wasn’t in my old role. I hate being bored. I lost benefits, flexibility and money switching but the pay off was better long-term career prospects and training.

The civil service is huge, I'd look for other opportunities within it before looking to jump ship for only £10k which as stated above isn't much when all is considered. The piece of mind of the pension and flexibility is what keeps me in at the moment, but I change jobs when I start to stagnate, about to move to my third in as many years almost!

Absolutely I’d look for a different role in Civil Service, at the salary I’m guessing you are an HEO?

any chance of you going to next grade up? Depending on your age Civil service pension is a lot to throw away when there are so many other roles you could do and not lose those benefits

With the age of your children I'd be keeping the current role so I could do school runs as this is something you'll never get back.

With children that young I wouldn't want to lose the flexibility and less holidays, crap pension would put me off too.

I would stay where you are but keep looking for something better if you are bored in your current role.

I wouldn’t leave that flexibility with children that young. As they start school you’ll appreciate the flexibility and holidays more. Also wouldn’t leave the pension! I’m similar age and children ages to you and I’m trying to get a job in the civil service for all the benefits you mention. If I was you I’d look for something else within the civil service.

You won’t adequately replace the Civil Service pension which isnt called gold plated for nothing. It’s not just the amount paid in it’s the guaranteed income without you having to worry about buying an annuity and managing your own pension.
DF has similar and will be getting an increase 0f 10.1% in April.
On the other hand you have a long way to go in a boring job, surely you can move to something better within the Civi Service.

I'm usually one to say take the new role and the challenge but in this case I wouldn't. You're losing pension, holiday, flexibility, work from home, guaranteed Christmas off.

You gain money but by the time you've paid for extra childcare due to less holiday, extra pension, more commute to the office, is that worth it?

The risk to reward balance isn't there for me.

I'd stay in the civil service and look for another internal role.