Help Needed

[shadygiz]

I'm in a right predicament here......i have worked from home for 5 1/2 years now, partly due to my partners disability and partly due to my diabetes.

i went for an interview for a job in stockport last week, very very good pay, bupa, pension car, etc. however i will be coming from a job where i have worked from home for the last 5 1/2 years into a job where i would be predominantly office based.
i had verbally agreed to join this company last week and they are drafting a contract up for me to sign. I should have signed the contract on Monday but they didnt have it ready for me.

i then went into work yesterday and quit my job and am on garden leave for the rest of the month, the proposed new company rang me last night saying he wants me to come in Thursday to sign up.


anyway, now the fun begins.....i rang one of my old customers this morning to let them know i had left my company....within 10 minutes his boss rang me and offered me a full time position with them

the job is the same, albeit i would be out of the office on sites more, the pay is more, same bupa and pension and 30 days a year + stats....however the company is based in leeds.....i rang them back this afternoon after consdering the role and told them that the travelling was a problem for me and i couldnt accept anything with them due to the travelling involved......
they rang me back 1/2 hr ago and told me they are willing to let me work from home whenever needed and i wouldnt need to travel into the office all the time...and to top it all they will beat the other companies wages by 10grand......i have set up a meeting with the company for the morning to discuss the possibility of me joining them

but now i need to delay the first company contract to give me time to assess my options...the first company will be expecting me to attend tomorrow to sign up.


The Pro's & Con's
Stockport Company
Pro's
close to home/easy commute
good prospects
good pay & benefits
good order book of future work

Con's
family run business
would have to retrain in some areas
odd contract terms
would have to prove myself
tried to undervalue me at the interview by offering me a lessser pay structure to start off

the first company is very much an old skool family run business with some draconian contract terms and i have a feeling it would be hard to break out of their comfort bubble, and if they did it would involve a lot of red tape. They dont know me and i would have to prove my worth and they asked me not to mention my pay to any of the other staff for fear of repisals by the other staff. Also, when i mentioned i was a diabetic, it seemed to take ages for him to answer me on the phone and seemed edgy aboout it when asked. Again if i have to take time off work for treatment, etc, i would have to start justifying myself to other staff.


Leeds Company
Pro's
work from home or on site
good prospects
excellent pay & benefits
part of a large PLC
negotiated contract terms
would not have to prove myself, they offered me a job based on my contract work for them over the last few months, so they know what i'm about

Con's
travelling distance when i did have to attend the office
decent order book, but mentioned to me last month that they needed to get some more work in
staying away from home a few days a month


This is by far the more modern of the 2 companies and would be more likely to support extraordinary contract terms and working practices. I also know most of the guys at this company, they know me and they know what i am about, exactly the reason they want to employ me. I would probably be away from home more often though.

i spent today racking my brains about this...i have spoken with my missus, my dad, my mate, my ex work colleague...and just spent the last 2 hours of my eldest lads sports day in a stressed state

any thoughts on which you would go for and also how to get out of signing the contract with the first company tomorrow, without letting them smell a rat.

 

[AntonDonJuan]

Ching ching

 

[shadygiz]

its not as easy as that though ant mate....job satisfaction plays a huge part for me

saying that i had bought a new golf gti at the weekend, due for delivery next week as the first company are paying me a supplement towards a car as i opted out of their company car scheme

the company in leeds offer a company car, but have said they will also give me an opt out scheme as i had already commited to buying a car based on the first job offer

 

[mcfcnorthstand]

Do the leeds one :o)

 

[Pearcey]

toss a coin... and if you feel disapointed with what the coin tells you... then go for the other job.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

I'd take the Leeds one as the chance to work from home will prove valuable at some point I'm sure. Plus they actively sought you out so they want you and must value you to some degree so they'll appreciate you and your work a little more than a company who you approached.

 

[Ally.P]

toss a coin... and if you feel disapointed with what the coin tells you... then go for the other job.

Thats bloody good advice that is.

 

[Danish Blue]

10 000 to work in leeds ??????

i think they missed a zero

(in all seriousness dont get stressed its a luxury problem) just remember money really isnt everything.

 

[Joycee Banercheck]

I'll echo DB's statement; money isn't everything. As someone who has never had a lot of money and struggles to make ends meet, I'd pick the one that was best for my family, not for my bank balance. Obviously, financial stability does help teh family, but not as much as being there when you're needed.

The Pro and con list you've detailed suggests to me that you already favour the Leeds job as they have made you feel more valued with pay and that they are willing to structure office-based hours to suit you (that'd probably swing it for me too).

I've worked for a family-ran business and a few major comapnies and, in my opinion, the family-ran business seemed to be geared towards keepimng staff happy. I've never really felt that the major company I work for now has ever viewed me as anything more than a number, but what's the point in being a number if you won't stand up and be counted.

If you are good at your job, then either way you'll probably be able to gain certain priviledges as you go along. Both sound like fantastic opportunities, so well done. At the end of teh day, you're the best person to answer your own question with help of teh views of your partner of course. After all, it'll affect them as much as it'll affect you and they'll want you to do whatever makes you happy.

Good luck.

PS: This won't interfere with the streams will it?

 

[Ed68]

I'd probably be tempted to go for the Leeds job for various reasons incl. previous experience working for the 'smaller businesses'.

It all depends on how you cope with the commute though as, assuming that your based in Manchester, then the journey will be longer than you expect in the morning.

I live in Northwich and work in Walsall - working from home on a Monday and Friday (the two busiest traffic days). I frequently work fairly long hours when I'm in the office (set off at 6.30 and get back at 7-7.30) as I 'beat' the traffic this way. It doesn't bother me too much as I get a lie in on Monday and Friday and am home when I log off on Friday afternoon.

Then there is always the extra cash - whilst it's not the 'be all and all all' of a job it's the only reason I go to work - if I won the lottery i'd never work again.