Help with work dilemma

[RosieLeaLovesTea]

Hi all

need your help
work in public sector. Been with same council for 21 yrs. progressed to middle management. I am trusted and respected. I mainly work at home and given lots of flexibility for my child care/school collection needs.

last year I moved 1.5 hours away and allowed to continue working at home. I go into office 1-2 days a month.

but the organisation is in complete crisis due to financial situation. It’s complete chaos and no admin support to do any basic tasks. I do everything myself. Pressure to cut costs is massive. As I have stayed lots of managers around me have left. A colleague who I worked closely with who has been unwell for 4 months is not returning.

last week I applied for a job in the town that I now live. It would be 30 mins there and back. I would be expected to work in office 2 days a week with not as much flexibility for school collections. I would need to travel to some different sites during the week. It is £5,000 less than what I am in now but a bigger organisation and so more opportunities to progress. I would lose my child care vouchers. It’s not much.

What would you do ?

option A - stick with the chaos as it’s gives flexibility for child care for another 3 yrs until youngest child can get bus to school. I am in a new area with no other family support.

option B - go for a change. It’s less money but more local. More opportunities to progress. I have been feeling really low about current job

How stressful is job A currently? Is it likely to get worse?

Does job B interest you? Can you negotiate for £5k more?

Are you excited by the new role?
You presumably have a pension to consider and continuity of service. Is the new place offering a pension package and would it be last in first out in case of a downturn?
If I was a lone parent then I’d probably stick with my current job for the flexibility and security but if you have sufficient savings then I’d think it’s worth risking a change to improve your working life.

How secure is job A given the financial turmoil? I guess you are a expensive redundancy due to length of service.

Salary, what is the proportional drop? are we talking £5k less on £35k or £5k less on 70k?

Childcare vouchers are gone but you'll get tax free childcare which should make up the difference or there about.

Pension is something to consider too.

Hi all

Job A secure- they won’t allow me voluntary redundancy. I’m too expensive. Lots of other people jumping ship.

both job has same pension provision and continuous service.

it’s £5000 drop from £60,000. I have some savings also as a buffer.

the flexibility is important. But o do feel quite desperate for a change.

my line manager is nice but not coping well with the stress and pressure.

I think I’d make the change now in those circumstances.

Job b & negotiate salary

I'd go for the new job with that extra info.

Go for job and get tax free childcare which should be similar in value to childcare vouchers (but works very differently), so that should not be such a big negative. You get up to £2000 a year.