Opinions - what would the masses do?

mum2one

Sorry but option 1 - option 2 just doesn't sound right d

ben_m_g

Thank you all, I was looking for different opinions and you didn't disappoint.

Feedback:
How much more? in the region of 20% increase on top of a good salary. They will also give me averaged commission for the first year. Basically they know how much I "should" earn and will pay me that for the first year regardless, I will negotiate a good basic salary as well.

Option 3, isn't a possibility at the moment, due to location and speciality, even a big step down in salary doesn't yield the jobs I am looking for. But yes I am looking all the time.


Update: Yesterday was my meeting with the manager at option 1. he was telling me more about the relocation deal and how he wants to up my wages (guaranteed if I did take it). All was very positive, gone was the stupid demands, and for the first time in months I came home happy and ready for work, my mind was almost made on sticking it out.

Until the following morning and the same problems arose, in-fighting, demands and complaints about things in different departments that I am not responsible for etc etc etc.

Thankfully, the decision on option 2 has been deferred for a month, this gives me some thinking time, with some luck I can also delay option 1 relocation to do the same.

Option 2 is a ticket out of this mess, even if it was the same salary I would be my own boss earning my own money.
I have a meeting with option 2 next month, I will demand clearer statements on the job and pay.

No clear winners at the moment, I will need to see how the law and HMRC situation will work, as a large company I do expect them to be somewhat up-to-date by now.

ben_m_g

It occurred to me that Option 1, wasn't described very well.
A lot of people massively favour 1 over 2, so it would interesting to hear if / how the following changes peoples minds.

This is a typical day ...

6:30 - 8:00
1.5 hours of "team talk" basically berating staff on the journey to work, depending on who is the least favourite today, the boss will single them out by listing all of their weaknesses in the guise of development. If we are 'lucky', we get a pop quiz on technically jargon. many of these times the actual questions are wrong and the answers never clear.

8:00 - 9:30
Play catch up on all the work you didn't do yesterday because of the extra work you where given.

9:30-12:00
Find out there is some 'urgent' work the HAS to be completed right now!
Complain that this is nothing to do with you, not your area of expertise and means that you will be delayed on all other work.
Get complaints ignored.

12:00 - 12:30
Work through your lunch as it is now midday and you haven't actually started on todays work yet.

13:00
Get complained at because that one thing your boss asked you to do in the car last night wasn't done, get told that (even though it is irrelevant and ultimately be forgotten about) it had to be done and that you are an "embarrassment" that you cannot do a simple everyday job.

13:30-14:00
Get in to a massive argument over simple legal / managerial / corporate rules, be in the right but as it is all a big show, get shouted at, and undermined. Find correct document that proves point, still get shouted at because "I don't understand", confirm matter with legal / HR, told i'm still wrong, boss is only person in company that knows.

14:00 - 17:00
get on with the tasks of the day, manage perhaps 20%

17:00 - 18:30
1.5 hours of complaints about what went wrong today, who messed up and how (if he could) he would fire the lot of us. Then a list of jobs that need doing for the following day.

19:00
put the kids to bed

20:00
shower & dinner

22:00
bed

This is mon - fri, and is similar to most of the staff working for my boss, in the last year, 6 people have handed in their notice and have been replaced by less experience people.

The funny thing is, it looks like I am just not very good at what I do, I am actually the most senior person in my team and held in the highest regard and it is still murder.

fufu_banterwaite

What a horrible way to live your life.

ben_m_g

Yep, I didn't even mention that I am obliged to answer the company phone on weekends.

Unfortunately the industry I work in, is downsizing across the country, my home town has little to no work for me. So travel is necessary.

I have been looking into changing industries obviously, but have seen varied results. I am dozens of accreditations, real world experience and have worked for big names in industry. Yet those are the breaks and you have to deal with them as they come.

The short term plan is to do the crap jobs that look good on the CV, make as much money as possible with out losing it all,
Put my kids through preschool giving them the best start, whilst putting a nice roof over their head in a safe neighbourhood.

Long term I will have to retrain and take less money elsewhere.
Frankly I am not proud, there are plenty of jobs people look down on that pay well and would be better for my sanity.

ben_m_g

sorry that sounds really odd *have instead of *am

kaya

Nothing ventured nothing gained, your health should always take preference over wealth , so which one is better for you as a person rather than good for your wallet? You can have all the money in the world and still be miserable as sin

Scorpio33

It depends on your aptitude for risk. If it were me, with a family depending on my income, I would stick with option 1.


However, it seems that option 2 is attractive to you due to the current job not being that good, rather than the new job being good. In that case I would stick out your current job, not relocate and spend your time looking for a 3rd, better job (that isn't self employed).


As I said though, it depends on your attitude to risk and with a family I think you should avoid risk, but that is only my opinion.

WestonDave

My instinct before your description of the day was to stick with option 1 due to the uncertainties of option 2, however I can now understand that you must be sorely tempted to tell your current employers to take their job and shove it somewhere that even a surgeon can't extract it. (Obviously burning bridges is never a good thing so if you do move on, keep it professional!). If you can tighten up on option 2 and use it as a stop gap whilst you think about retraining etc then maybe its the better option for your sanity. Sometimes you have to make the right "life" decision and make the money work around that - extreme example but those that suddenly decide to go into charity work or religious ministry often have to face living on very little but are willing to do so for the mental benefits of doing something they believe in.

ben_m_g

It's all in the maybe, option 2 would have me working from home two days a week, with no boss in the country, with the same money and a company car, there will be some late nights and a stop over now and then, but on paper it is the best option.

What is the big let down (and the point in the thread) is the legal and pay queries, working for a European company in the UK has it's difficulties.

At best it means I directly work for them the same as any other employee but located in England I have to do my own taxes and arrange a pension but a 'secure' job.
At worst my rights are massively infringed, leaving me responsible on a director level, they could take me for a ride before getting rid of me.