thoughts

[NorthernDave]

Speaking as someone with a 40+ mile round trip commute* and not far off 50-hours a week job (that I do actually like), I'd go for option 1 if you've got the essentials covered, every time.

* - an hour on a morning, hour and a half on a good night, in the car (which is still faster than the train)

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I started on a zero hour contract 8 years ago, when I passed the stage of needing mortgages, loans, credit cards.
It was meant to be my "retirement job", flexible, no responsibilities, no stress.
I now have 3 zero hours jobs, supervisor in one, a 50 hour week is short, my flat is a constant mess, keep acquiring bikes because I don't have the time to fix the broken ones.
Just saying, like ...

 

[ColinJ]

My best mate could have retired early on the grounds of ill health at the age of 55 and lived on a comfortable pension but he didn't, wanting to keep on working (at a job that he no longer enjoyed) until he could get an even more comfortable pension in his 60s. He died aged 59 without drawing a penny of it ...

It makes me very sad to say it but thanks to the inheritance he left me, I have ended up spending more of his savings on myself than he did on himself.

 

[gavroche]

Our time on this earth is very brief and we all have different financial needs at different periods in our lives. When I was young , I used to work 7 days a week to raise my family, pay the mortgage etc.... and thought nothing of it. Now, I am retired, no mortgage but still work 4 days a week ( 24 hours) because I want to as I would be bored staying at home all day long and I think work is good to preserve your mental and physical health. I work for an agency, in education, as a supply teacher, and the choice is entirely mine when I want to work. I like it that way.

 

[PaulB]

I did something yesterday that re-vitalised me and I walked out feeling ten feet tall. I resigned!

I'd gone to the meeting with managerial staff prepared with a letter of resignation in my pocket should things turn out the way I suspected they would.

Despite being the most successful in the company across the two key areas of my responsibility (I've won the company prize for biggest increase of a crucial area in the year's first quarter), this was used as a stick to beat me with and impossible demands to repeat this success in other areas - or else - were explicitly made.

I took great delight in taking the resignation letter out and presenting it to the top manager and calling a premature end to my meeting, left the room and walked away from the gruesome-twosome for the last time.

The hours put in to this job have rendered me the most unfit I've been for many years (I was actually British number one-ranked athlete for age, over 5,000 metres on the road this time last year!) so once I've fulfilled my existing commitments over the four weeks of my notice period, I'll be spending the summer doing exactly what I want to do.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Option 1.
My better half is a shift worker with lots of holidays that my 9-5 stops me enjoying with her.

 

[Brandane]

I took great delight in taking the resignation letter out and presenting it to the top manager and calling a premature end to my meeting, left the room and walked away from the gruesome-twosome for the last time.

Well done! I don't know what it's like in other parts of the country, but up here the attitude of employers seems to be along the lines of "you're very lucky to be working for us, so we will shaft you at every opportunity and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it; we have you by the short and curlies!". So it's nice to hear of cases where people stick two fingers up to them . I hope it works out for you and that you find something else (if you want to, of course) when you are ready. Meantime, enjoy the summer .

 

[oldfatfool]

Option 1.
My better half is a shift worker with lots of holidays that my 9-5 stops me enjoying with her.

Unfortunately swmbo also works full time, otherwise it would be a no brainer, however her wage is how I could afford not to have to have a massive income myself, which is also why I am in such a quandry (used to being the main 'bread winner')

 

[ColinJ]

Unfortunately swmbo also works full time, otherwise it would be a no brainer, however her wage is how I could afford not to have to have a massive income myself, which is also why I am in such a quandry (used to being the main 'bread winner')

Ah, I thought the cash was from a pension. I can see the unfairness of her working and you not!

Still, if you end up doing similar hours, that would be fair wouldn't it, as long as you share domestic responsibilities too?

Good on you, @PaulB - I would have loved to witness that! Enjoy your leisure time once you have served your notice!

 

[PaulB]

Ah, I thought the cash was from a pension. I can see the unfairness of her working and you not!

Still, if you end up doing similar hours, that would be fair wouldn't it, as long as you share domestic responsibilities too?

Good on you, @PaulB - I would have loved to witness that! Enjoy your leisure time once you have served your notice!

Cheers Colin. They informed me I must attend an exit interview and I informed them I'd enjoy nothing more!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

They informed me I must attend an exit interview

That seems a bit
What if you don't attend? Are they gonna sack you?
I wouldn't go, it's all empty words anyway this "one to one" (we call them job chats) imo.
Good luck for the future!

 

[PaulB]

That seems a bit
What if you don't attend? Are they gonna sack you?
I wouldn't go, it's all empty words anyway this "one to one" (we call them job chats) imo.
Good luck for the future!

Thanks Pat.

If I don't attend, I won't get the opportunity to explain to HR why I chose to leave. I read a report yesterday that showed over 70% of employees who leave jobs leave because of the manager, not the company! I'm the fourth of a team of eleven to have resigned since October and have a friendship with all my colleagues I'll be leaving (along with the pension set-up, the only reason I considered staying) so to get my point across could well have a positive effect on their security.

 

[swee'pea99]

I'm the fourth of a team of eleven to have resigned since October

I'd start my 'exit interview' with that. "The team has lost more than a third of its members in half a year. Maybe it's not me that should be facing questions..."

Well done BTW. Have a good summer.

 

[PaulB]

Excellent!

My 'summer' didn't get off to an auspicious start if today was the first one of it! I did 46 miles around Settle - all on road BTW - and I returned with all clothing and bike completely different colours to when setting off! Talk about 'hell of the north', I'd be astonished if the riders in that race tomorrow finish in as filthy a state I was on my return today.