WWYD - redundancy or relocation?

[Kif]

What would you do? (With reference to DH rather than myself)

1. Take redundancy and downsize. Living near family, we could live up to 6 months on half the payout - rest into savings. Got 2 kids under 5 - and another due in June - so would potentially be lovely time for kids to spend a bit more time with their dad, DH to have a change of pace, chance to go off on random holidays together since I'm on mat leave. Risk that job market difficult - and may remain so for a while - so may be difficult to get back into it in the same field/same area. Risk of loss of self-esteem/confidence for DH from being out of work - esp if difficult to get another job.

2. Move abroad to work in DH emplyer HQ. Potentially long hours/lots of work/sorting out other people's mess. Reasonable salary by local standards, but not a luxury expat package. Lose substantial family/friends support network in UK. I don't speak the language. May be difficult to reenter UK market. On the plus, nice place to live, and the company is very respected locally with good perks.

Potentially out of pocket and severely disrupted if it doesn't work out. In principle, we're both quite positive about living abroad esp in this place - adventure. Slightly less certain given new baby and certain reservations about how well thought through the move is on the side of the company.

What would you do?

which country is abroad?

Yeah. really depends where the job is.

My DH got offered a job abroad and, rather than relocate, he worked out a package which allows him to come home at weekends etc., Works out OK (Not easy with the new baby on the way) but the money is good.

If that's not a possiblity, I'd see if it's possible for you to at least keep your UK house. I don't think I'd be too happy to lose that unless I was sure the new job / location was going to be a long term option.

I had one friend who relocated to New Zealand and TOTALLY hated the place - came back after 6 months WELL out of pocket!

'Abroad' is Madrid. We are renting anyway - and need an extra bedroom with new baby on the way - so fairly relaxed about losing current base.

I think being heavily pregnant isn't helping me think clearly on the issue. I'm irrationally resentful of him having to travel and being distracted atm, Really, I'd love him to be driving me to and from medical appointments, entertaining the kids and bringing cups of tea . I can't see myself feeling any warmer about it as I approach my due date, or when I'm coping with 3 under 5s. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad move for him or for us in the medium term.

Commuting long term is an option - but tbh I think me and the kids would be miserable like that for an extended period of time. It'd always feel temporary and unsatisfactory.

DH is thinking of a stop-gap idea where he works half in London half in Madrid over summer, giving us a chance to settle with new baby in UK - and giving him more of a chance to test the water over there.

Hey Jura! I guess it's a bit pointless to shroud over the details, when someone actually knows me - ha ha.

Well, my next 12 months or so are taken up with Dc3 on the way... after that apparently surprisingly sound job market for english speaking financial services types... not quite sure how that would work.

I'm trying to work out how we could live in Spain - dc and dh are very keen.

I'd say go for it - but think about your support network, learn the language - it would be an adventure, and would only add to your dh's cv.

Is there a chance that you could do some sort of work while you're there? Perhaps voluntary work?

Hi Kif,
I am spanish living in the UK. Knowing me, I would probably take the oportunity of living abroad for a while. I think that for your husband career, it would be very good having that experience.
I don't know which company your husbands works for, but be carefull, in Spain, flexible working hours are not very common.
From my point of view, working conditions in Spain are very different from the ones here. Office hours are usually 9 to 1, then 2 or 3 hours lunch, and then back until 7 or 8 in the evening. Working from home, it might be difficult to do as well.
But what I will do, before accepting the possition or not, is have a meeting with bosses, and ask all the thinks that you might need to know for you to make a deccission with all the facts.
They might be more willing to change some of the working conditions that you might think.
For your kids, it will be a wonderful oportunity to learn Spanish, as at that age, they would learn it with no difficulty at all.
Good luck in whatever your decide!!