Opinions - what would the masses do?

ben_m_g

Bit of a thought exercise, I am approaching a fairly major fork in my path, one where both choices seem less than perfect.

As we try to make sense of it all, it would be helpful to hear another perspective, maybe one I hadn't considered.


Background.
Late twenties spent the last 10 years climbing the career ladder, always looking to advance my career and make myself more employable, married with children so decisions are not taken lightly.


Option 1. Stay with my current very stressful job (several people have left already).
80 mile round trip, but great for the CV and the pay is far above average.
We are not rich, we don't go on holidays etc but the bills get paid every month and we eat out every month without worry.
Take a relocation deal and a pay sweetener that will cut my commute by twenty minutes a day and hope it gets better.

Big but, locked into this job for two years if I stay, this is not an option if I do not leave the company.

Option 2. Take a risk, offered a new job essentially self employed but with one employer, massive step up the career ladder I will not get this chance again.
But the role is not clear and there would be stress to perform and earn commission, this would mean better pay & company car.

Big but here is job security, a new job in a new career with a company that is taking a risk on me.


So, stick with the money and try to make it work.
Or risk it all by taking a better job with no security.


If you have had to do something similar or regret a decision you didn't make it would be interesting to hear.

Gavin83

How much more money we talking for the second role?

Presuming I liked the second job and was ready to move on I'd probably take it but then again I don't have a family to support. Leaving a job which is secure and is clearly paying you enough is a big step.

diable

Fortune favours the bold,

Option 2

bristol_pilot

I wouldn't touch Option 2 with a barge pole. 'Essentially self-employed but with one employer' - translation: they are gonna treat you like !!!! and the talk of high earnings is all lies. If it was any good you'd have employed status and basic pay plus commission.

robatwork

Option 1, out of those 2.

And then Option 3 may pop up, or you can go looking for it.

pickledonionspaceraider

option 2......

theoretica

Self employed but with a company car?

I would check the small print and HMRC very carefully!

fufu_banterwaite

Both sound terrible to me, I would hate to be in your position, but I'd probably go for option one.

KiKi

Option 1.

Why? Because Option 2 with only one company presents problems with HMRC. This is often a way for companies to get away with not paying you properly and treating you like crap, and not paying employers NI. You'd have to sort all your own affairs - no sick pay, no leave pay, no job security etc.

If you were going self employed with a number of companies to work for that would be different. But any company that wants to take you on as SE, and work ONLY for them - there's a reason for that.

KiKi

HHarry

+1 with Kiki, and then keep an eye out for option 3 as Robat said.

It's not the gamble that's the issue (I went self-employed years ago, and it has been a great decision), but the attitude of the company. Obviously there's not much more security in the first two years of a new job, over being self-employed, but at least there's a commitment to paying NI, pension, holidays and sick.

colino

Option 2 isn't an option at all. I've worked with many people setting up and developing businesses and the majority of the successful ones are those that ran towards the opportunity of running their own enterprise, not one of the many running away from a bad career or worst of all, an alternative to a job following downsizing or redundancy.
The main benefit of running your own business isn't the money, glamour or fame; it's all about the freedom to do your own thing, make your own choices and run it the way you want to. Your second option is just a dubious way of sub-contracting, swapping one organisations structure for a supposedly different, "better" one.