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.

2.5 hour round trip or each way?

Either way that is all kinds of hell no if required 3x a week.

If you can't move it's too much of a risk.
That 2.5 hr drive once a week will quickly become exhausting, also them offering to pay for accommodation isn't a long term guarantee.
I would only do it if you could easily relocate to the area.
Also going from wfh to 3 days in office will make a big difference to your lifestyle in terms of flexibility.. I don't think it's worth it just for 10k.
What if circumstances change and you suddenly have to be closer to home/more flexible? What if the new working culture is toxic?
In a nutshell it will be luck of the draw whether it turns out well or not.

It doesn’t sound like a once in a lifetime opportunity - in fact it sounds like a ballache for not much more money and slightly better chances of progression.

id stay with job A and start hunting for job C

If all went well is th3 job location somewhere you would consider living / moving to?

I assume either an employer happy to pay for accommodation you have a unique skill - are your skills transferable? Maybe this job is a short term role.

Nah. Too much hassle and risk for 5K take-home (even less when factoring in petrol and food). Look for job C.

But, be clear about your reasons when you turn it down - they might then renegotiate the number of days. Two days in the office (so just one night in hotel) would shift the balance.

You’re on a high salary already and keen on further career progression, £10k rise isn’t huge % wise but it sounds like there is opportunity to increase that further.

2 nights a week away isn’t too bad IME, can work, do exercise or whatever. The driving sounds tiring though.

are there lots of good job prospects near the location of your current home? If not, it’d make sense for you and DP to consider now whether to move elsewhere. I’d want that sorted out well before considering DC, to be able to keep earning well etc.

Can you try and swing the 2-3 nights away to a positive? After all, that 4-5 nights at home ever week too.

eg use it as an opportunity to get ahead of work in those evenings and work shorter days when you’re at home? Or to arrive late on day 1 and leave early on day 3?
Or use the time alone to focus on fitness (gym in hotel?)
Or do you have friends in that area of the country that you use the work trips as an opportunity meet with from time to time?
Or even look into whether there’s a weekly evening class you could join for one of those evenings (an art class / language class / dance class etc). There may be different opportunities in a different place- particularly if it’s a new city.

No I wouldn’t take job b. Commuting is exhausting and staying in hotels is rubbish. Look for another alternative

They will 💯 stop the hotel contribution asap. Will you be ok with the job then?

If b is a large asset finance org starting with b don’t touch it with a bargepole

For me £10k isn’t worth being away from home for 3 nights. The novelty will ware off and you’ll be eating room service three nights wishing you were at home able to cook something proper.

also if they are paying you to stay in a hotel at the office and paying your travel expenses, it might give rise to a taxable benefit so worth checking that out or you could owe more in tax. The rules are quite complicated so make sure you get some guidance.

also make sure that travel expenses are contracted or they could drop that at any time.

Job a sounds perfect

The offer isn’t a sustainable way to live in my opinion. It sounds like a miserable way to live, it might be OK once a month or so but not weekly.

Thanks all. I declined the offer in the end, after much consideration the progression/opportunity just wasn't enough of a pull for the pay rise and hassle that comes with being away from home 3 days a week.

I'll keep looking for Job C!

Unless you’re desperate for the money or promotion think about what makes you happy and getting the perfect work life balance.
Life is for living not work so if your already worried about the nights away and being lonely maybe that opportunity isn’t for you BUT that’s doesn’t mean your be stuck at your current job forever just for now whilst you wait for the perfect opportunity to arise. Good luck it will happen! ☺️

Good luck, OP.

I would have made the same decision. From your posts it seems like your will be a desirable candidate for other companies as well. I also think you will be happier once you find job C.

If you don't have kids and you feel your relationship can handle you being elsewhere for half the week then this is probably the ideal time to do job b, but if you decide to have kids before progressing upwards or elsewhere it could become quite problematic.

I personally would stay where I was maybe ask for a salary increase, worst is they say no, and wait for the right job opportunity closer to home, I wouldn't like that commute or staying away that much but that's just me

Good luck OP I was going to suggest as per some other posters you need to look for job C and can see from latest update you've come to the same conclusion. Take confidence from this interview process and job offer and go after roles with a 100k+ package ideally with better flexibility or closer location. Remember you don't have to meet all of the role criteria in a job advert to be a great candidate.