Redudancy or job you don't want

Scorpio33

Hi,

Wanting some opinions.

If you were told you are to be made redundant within the next year or you can take a different job within the same company, what would you do?

The job being offered would be a step down, longer hours, poor people within the team, not something you really want, but it would pay the bills.

I am thinking the best thing to do is to not take the job and look for a job you would want. Saying that, any job is good in this environment?

Opinions?

bargainbetty

How long would the redundancy last? Could you find a job in that time? Have a look around and see what is out there for you.

How much notice will you be given of the actual redundancy? If you have easily marketable skills or would be able to temp easily while finding a new place, then perhaps taking the lump sum would work for you. If you are specialist or have a lower skillset, you might be better taking the guaranteed job and just moving when you can - you know the bills are paid until then. Sorry if that sounds brutal, but it really isn't a great time to be out of work.

SailorSam

How old are you ?
If you were older the redundancy may seem more attractive than if you're only young.

easilydistracted

If it were me it would depend how likely it was to get another job (eg are there lots of jobs in related sectors), how much of a mess you'd end up in if on benefits for a time and what the pay off was.

I'm quite risk adverse, the main earner and we are about to take on our first mortgage so it would take me a lot to move and that's despite being a job hopper in what tends to be an area where its relatively easy to get jobs. I would also be keen to stay where I am as I'm in a more senior role than before where I was lucky to get the opportunity.

That said, I had a job I hated so much that I went into agency work at exactly the wrong time, not far off wanting to apply for a mortgage and ended up with a long and rather stressful commute somewhere I would have never considered working. I don't regret it a second and this is where my permanent opportunity came up. So I guess my advice is to stay if you wouldn't completely hate the job, but depends a lot on circumstances.


It sounds like you'd be looking for another job if you took the back up anyway, so see how you do looking in the mean time?

Matthew_c

It would depend on the amount of redundancy, I would happily take it in my current position as 1 I am training to become a surveyor and 2 it would be around £10k

Scorpio33

I'm 33, the redundancy should last 8-9 months, maybe more if we were frugal.

The unknown is the likelyhood of getting another job - there are not many roles at my sector locally out there, but I was made redundant previously and got a job within a month, so I am not sure about the prospects of other jobs.

I am a qualfied accountant, so jobs should be easy to come by, but it makes me nervous with the state of the economy, plus having a wife and daugter depending on me.

Scorpio33

The new role is also 1.5 hours away, meaning realistically, I will be away from the house from 7am to 9pm Mon - Friday, meaning I won't see my daughter grow up.

MUM40

With your training could you sign on with an agency and get some work with them until something more suitable came along.

Gentoo365

Scorpio, I would not move unless the job was one that you would accept anyway. If it is not suitable then you need to find a better one.

8 months should be enough to find a job. However only you know the local job market (or rather you, once you have checked online and discussed it with agencies).

The only thing I would say is that you will need to make sure that your wife is happy with your decision. As it will affect her too. Especially when it gets to the end of the 8 months money and you have to decide whether to take a substandard job just to pay the bills.

I believe that you should be able to 'trial' the new job that has been offered. If this is true, find out the last possible day you can give notice and still get the redundancy. As it may be worth trialling the job to see if it really is as bad as you thing. Also that gives you more time to make some applications elsewhere.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Scorpio33

My wife has said she will go along with whatever I choose.

I agree 8 months should be long enough to find a job, and I agree that taking a job I don't want isn't the ideal thing. I can do a trial, but then why trial a job when the location is not ideal? Surely it is just settling for something? Then is there the perfect role out there? I worry that I will always be settling on any role I choose.

I think the thing that is worrying me is that I have always been in control of my own destiny and able to plan easy. Now I have no control over what I will be doing or even when. It is in the hands of the company over when I will be going and in the hands of the recruiters as to what is available. The uncertainty is what gets me the most.

Saying that, would it be wise to look for other roles now? But what then if I turned roles down and they were not available when I needed them? What if I did accept a role and it meant losing out on redundancy?

makeyourdaddyproud

Scorpio33 wrote: »

The new role is also 1.5 hours away, meaning realistically, I will be away from the house from 7am to 9pm Mon - Friday, meaning I won't see my daughter grow up.

Wouldn't a better option be to set up your own practice? That way you can choose your own hours, set pay etc.

As an accountant, you are privy to the de rigeur expectation of being in business, rather than just being a hired gun.

Not so easy in other disciplines.

Only then can you spend valuable daughter time.