What would you do?

[lexi29]

What would you do if you were in this situation? My fiance just moved to my state (we lived about a half hour apart before) so we can move in together. He has worked the same job for the last four or five years and enjoys it. He works for a construction company and as you probably know, construction (residential) has taken a hit lately. His job is normally year round. In the last 3 years he's never been laid off but in December he was laid off for almost two months. After they finish the job they are on, the owner of the company does not have any work lined up (so they will probably be laid off again unless one of his bids are accepted). He works for a small privately owned company (husband and wife) that employs around 15 people. He makes $14 which isn't a lot for most people but it is a decent wage around (small town) and he gets by on it. He applied for another job while he was laid off and just got an interview. It is a job for a government agency that involves weatherizing homes. They are unionized and the starting wage is only $10 hr with a 50 cent increase after 6 months. Both jobs have benefits (the new job has retirement though). Also at his current job his health insurance costs have doubled because the owner can't afford to pay as much as he used to.

 

My fiance said he'd love to take the job but he told them he couldn't accept less than $12 hr to take it (they asked). The interviewer said since they are union the wage ($10 hr) is set and he can't change it. He told my fiance they would love to hire him and if he reconsiders to call him.

 

His first reaction is no way I can't take that $4 an hr paycut. I suggested he write down the pros and cons.

 

The pros of his current job are: he makes more $ and his boss hinted at a 1 dollar hr raise to get him to stay.

He's worked there for four years and likes his coworkers and the work.

 

the cons of his current job are- he now has to drive an hour to work every day (with the rising price of gas this is going to eat up more of his pay check)

He has to pay more $ for daycare because he often works late and then has the hour drive home.

He has no set schedule. He doesn't know what his start time is until the day before and never has a set end time. It is just whenever they finish up

since the economy is in the toilet there isn't a lot of home building going on so he has the possiblity of being laid off for several months or the company just closing down.

 

The pros of the new job would be:

he would have a set schedule and only work four days per week.

not as much $ paid out for gas or daycare

He would only have to drive ten minutes to work every day. Much closer!

He'd have a retirement plan.

he'd be able to spend more time with family because he wouldn't be driving so much and he'd have a set quitting time.

We could often carpool to work if we wanted as the place he'd start out at every day is right next door to where I work.

 

 

cons: the LOW pay. He would be making $600 less each month (before taxes) that adds up!

since he wouldn't have much senority as he'd just be starting there, if they had layoffs he would be the first to go.

 

My fiance asked me for advice and I just told him it is up to him. If it were me, I'd probably take the closer lower paying job if I could just because I hate to drive long distances. But it is quite a pay cut (but if he is laid off from his current job I believe this job would pay more than he'd make on unemployment.)

 

What would you do if you were in this situation?

[quankanne]

I've been at my same job with a church newspaper for 14 years; before that, I worked at local newspapers. I figure I draw about 80-90 percent of what a counterpart in the secular industry makes, but the reason why I've stuck with a small paycheck all these years is because I believe in what I'm doing, and the benefits far outweigh the pay.

 

oh, I get by, sometimes just paycheck to paycheck, but I'm guaranteed off holidays and holy days (something like 18 this year), plus have 20 vacation days (I was there less than a month when I was told I already had 10 days off accrued). But the best part is that this job is incredibly family-oriented.

 

no weekend or after-hours work, and if there is, we are given generous comp time. When my parents were dying, I was allowed to drop everything to tend to them (they lived across the state). Even when I ran out of vacation leave, my boss told me not to worry about it, but to take care of them, my job would still be here.

 

compared to the last newspaper I worked for, where you only got to take off only ONE paid holiday a year and claiming vacation time was frowned upon, AND you had to make sure it didn't interfere with the plans of those with seniority, you can guess why I've stayed so long with this outfit.

 

I realize your guy has got many other things to consider, especially with a child, but at this point, I think health benefits, more family time and a shorter commute would be the selling factors of the job he's considering. Yes, it's a step-down in pay, but how much of that big income is going toward fuel and childcare costs each month? Does it amount to $10 an hour after all?

 

maybe he needs to get back with the interviewers and ask what kind of advancements/benefits/salary he'd be getting after one year, after five years, after 10 years. in the long run, that might make up for the initial $600 monthly loss ...