Job Offer - what should I do?

[Ploddingalong67]

I have received job offer and I don’t know what to do!!!

Job A (current role); 35 minutes commute, almost complete flexible working, I’m able to be in the office whenever suits/is needed or can work from home. As long as the work is completed no one bats an eyelid. Company as a whole has many many issues and the working environment is very toxic. It’s a small (ish) organisation of around 250 staff with limited progression opportunities. Day to day I enjoy my role, there is variety and no two days are ever the same. My boss is incredible and I would follow him to another organisation / role.

Job B (holding an offer); 2.5 hour drive to office location, 3 days per week in the office is non negotiable. Large, multi-national, well established company. Fantastic progression opportunities and training. Role seems ‘traditional’ in that quite process / policy driven and slightly worried I would be a little bored. It’s 10k more salary wise and they have agreed to pay for all accommodation costs associated with staying near the office 3 days per week.

What do I do? I am relatively young, I have no children (and don’t plan to for a few years) but a house and partner in current location.

Can you use the offer to negotiate a higher salary with your current company?

I like the sound of job B but it’s a long commute and not negotiable on the 3 days.

I think it depends on what the difference in salary means to you, if it was 20k rising to 30k that’s a whole different situation to 110k rising to 120k for example.

I'm nervous to negotiate with current organisation unless I am actually prepared to leave if they say no to matching the offer. I have a feeling they wouldn't match the new offer based on past history of others trying to do the same.

It's 80k to 90k.

I would consider also whether job B might give you more in terms of your career.
A larger organisation, better brand and opportunities for promotion can have huge value. In my view (senior management) a lot of people working remotely can give rise to problems with cohesion and development, and so the fact that you (and colleagues) would have to be in the office may be a real positive. You'll learn a lot in that sort of environment and it will be great for your CV. You could move if it went well, or otherwise just do it for a couple of years for the experience and consider it an investment in your career.

@Okayornot - I think it probably would be a better career move yes but then there's a part of me that isn't sure I can cope with being away from home, in a hotel room 2 / 3 nights a week. It feels like quite a lonely existence and I'm nervous that the career benefits don't outweigh the toll on my personal life/wellbeing.

I like being in the office and if this job was in my current location, I would have taken it without a second thought. I feel so conflicted!

I think that if the new job was local, I'd definitely take it. But seeing as you're going from £80-£90K, that's probably not going to make that much of a difference to your (probably already quite nice) life, the 3 days away is a pain, I wouldn't do it.

Don’t underestimate how exhausting a 5 hour round commute will be. That’s a lot of driving 3 days a week.

Unless you are prepared to relocate soon you would be mad to spend 15 hours a week driving for a £5k net pay rise. You could pick up taxi work and earn more!

5 hours a day driving. Not a chance.

You sound kind of unhappy where you are.
I guess the downside is when you're stuck in traffic or in the office, you'll be wishing you stayed put. But if your current job isn't offering any progression, then you'll wish you'd taken the other one.
Very few places are offering what your current job does, in terms of flexibility. I'd stay out but keep looking for the perfect job. It's out there!

It's not driving there and back for those 3 days. It'll look something like;

Monday - WFH
Tuesday - Commute to office (2.5hrs), work in office, stay in hotel
Wednesday - work in office, stay in hotel at office location
Thursday - work in office, commute home (2.5 hrs)
Friday - WFH

All accommodation will be paid for by the new company.

I’ve done a 2 hour commute before and wouldn’t recommend it because it becomes a lifestyle. It has to be factored into many areas of your daily life. Doesn’t allow for flexibility.

Is the new office in a city/big town with plenty going on, or will you be sat in a Premier Inn in the suburbs somewhere?

@TokyoSushi - it is a city but it would be a Premier Inn / Ibis type hotel.

I'd look for Job C

Or try to negotiate with Job B for once a month 3 days a week in the office ....is it REALLY non negotiable? How much does Job B want you?

I've done a similar sort of thing, 2.5 hour journey on a Tuesday, 2 nights away, then back on the Thursday. It was quite enjoyable for a time, I was working on a project where there were quite a few people with the same sort of arrangement so plenty of socialising opportunities. After 3 years though I was happy to find a role that didn't involve that travel.

Use the opportunity to assess where you are life wise currently vs where you want to be in 5 years (for example)
Which role will support you in achieving your 5 year plan?
For example - at 24 I took a role which I knew would give me great experience and the opportunity to travel internationally which I really wanted.
At 29, I took a role with minimal travel because I was newly married and wanted to be home more/start a family.
At 38 I stepped away from big corporate so I could be more available for aging family members and the awkward tween/teen years to come.
Work out what’s next for you and hopefully it’ll be more obvious which role to take. Good luck!

@Bestyearever2024 - I have tried to negotiate the 3 days per week in the office and they said no but that they would pay my accommodation costs.

@DataPup - when they offered to pay for the accommodation I asked if there were others doing similar thing and the recruiter said no, most of their staff are based in this new city so I do think it would be quite lonely.

@Ineedanewsofa - thank you. Good advice, I shall get my thinking cap on!

10k extra won't be much more net for the hassle of staying in a different city, paying for food and petrol.

I'd negotiate a rise with job A don't mention new job just state why you deserve it.

And if u feel urge look for another job

@autienotnaughty - I tried to negotiate a pay rise before applying elsewhere! Current organisation said they couldn't offer anything over and above the standard company wide 4%.

As you have no children, I'd be inclined to accept the new role on the basis that this is a good time for career progression, getting a good "name" on your CV etc. I do completely take your point regarding 3 days in the office and 2 nights in a hotel, but if it's a nice vibrant city, that might not be the worst thing. And I suspect what you'd find is that your 2 days WFH will feel very relaxed and chilled as a result.

You don't say if you have a partner or if you'd ever consider moving to this city if the job goes well? Is that something to factor in? if it's great, perhaps you move closer within the next few years. If it's not, you do your 2-3 years and then move on.

How much extra cash each month does £10k a year give you, once tax NI and pension contributions are taken into consideration?

The salary difference is not enough for the extra hassle, for me. Particularly after tax.

Only two nights away though, at various times I've done 5/4/3 days away from home. 3 is very manageable for me, the first night I'm generally tired so happy to finish work and relax and just get dinner and watch TV, second night I'd go to the gym or swim.

I think it's worth doing for a period if it's likely to lead to better things.