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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2016 17:48:02 GMT
I've been with my current company (large national bank) for almost 14 years. I enjoy working there and fully expect to stay there until retirement. My old boss - who has been my mentor since I started working here, and with whom I have a great relationship - called me and offered me a new position he is creating. It's a great opportunity and I'm very interested. But, I also wasn't looking and don't have any compelling reason to leave my current role unless this is *exactly* what I want.
The biggest sticking point is that I am currently 100% home-based and it works great for our family. I have a ton of flexibility and with my husband's highly variable schedule, it makes life so much less stressful that I am always here to get DS to and from school (walking distance - just two blocks), etc. DS is 8 and old enough to be elsewhere in the house and entertain himself, do homework, and so on while I'm working in the afternoon - but he's not old enough to be home alone. The new role will require at least some (probably no more than 50%) in-office work and the office is about 25 minutes from our house. Some of that 50% will be day trips in the area - which could result in getting back late (7 or 8 PM) some times.
This means we'll need to find part-time after school care, which is doable but expensive. Obviously I'm figuring that actual amount into my compensation negotiations, but I also want to account for the general lifestyle change this will mean for our family and I'm having a hard time assigning a monetary value to that.
How would you approach determining that value before you started negotiations? I know the salary range/job grade/incentive options and where I what I would be willing to accept there if I didn't need to take this into account, but I want to factor this in too.
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Post by mrgiedrnkr on Apr 14, 2016 18:07:39 GMT
I am very similar to you with longer tenure. I don't know that I can put a price on working from home. You can add the daycare, add the mileage, add some clothing allowance but that freedom and flexibility is hard to price. I am not much help but I know that it would be a VERY LARGE number  Stacy |
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Post by Basket1lady on Apr 14, 2016 18:14:59 GMT
I am very similar to you with longer tenure. I don't know that I can put a price on working from home. You can add the daycare, add the mileage, add some clothing allowance but that freedom and flexibility is hard to price. I am not much help but I know that it would be a VERY LARGE number Stacy I agree. I don't know what your DH does, but mine is active duty Air Force. He travels tons and then there are the deployments, which are "only" 4-6 months. But when he's home, he works long hours and absolutely can't be the one to do child care duties unless it's an emergency or with a lot of prior notice. The flexibility I have with my (volunteer) job is worth it's weight in gold. There's very little stress on the family because of my daily life. For our family, that's what works right now. And I only have one child left at home who is 16. |
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Post by Susie_Homemaker on Apr 14, 2016 18:18:07 GMT
As they say if it ain't broke don't fix it.
It sounds like your current situation is perfect for you so why change if there aren't huge benefits to you - not monetary either.
What happens if the new position is eliminated? Would you lose your (new) job?
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Post by BeckyTech on Apr 14, 2016 18:20:28 GMT
I'm a work-from-home person.
In my business, working in an office means a lot of politics. Been there, done that, and I long ago made my peace with less money and the much lower stress work from home gig. The whole dreading going to work thing, fighting traffic, dealing with co-workers, bosses (even if they weren't mine) .... What was your stress level like when you were doing it? What is your stress level like now?
Is your DS involved in clubs/sports now? Because that type of activity is likely to increase as he gets older. It seems to me that you might want even more flexibility down the road. I don't know, I don't have kids, but good luck with your decision. |
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keithurbanlovinpea
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Post by keithurbanlovinpea on Apr 14, 2016 18:26:13 GMT
You really can't determine that value, and even if you could, I would caution adding that in. A good employer will pay an employee the fair, market rate for the job being done. The location is (and should be) irrelevant to the conversation. I hope that makes sense... don't upvalue or down value the compensation because it is home based or not. If the job (no matter where you office) doesn't pay what you need it to for your lifestyle, then it isn't right for you.
I would be honest with him, like you were with us. You enjoy and need the flexibility of working from home. If he can't make modifications to the schedule to suit you, I think you will be unhappy no matter what it pays.
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Post by kristi on Apr 14, 2016 18:32:34 GMT
A job I have always wanted opened up a few months ago. I drove 30 minutes to the interview, had to dress up (vs my casual home attire) & spent the day at the office. It was a real awakening to me as to how much a salary increase would not compensate for working from home & having flexibility. I would look into the following additional costs:
-gas/car repairs
-work clothes
-before/after school childcare
-my company pays for my internet - if I go into the office that would be something I would then be responsible for
Things that you probably can't put a dollar value on but should be considered
-sports/after school activities - do you have someone to take & pick up (the older they get the more this becomes an issue-our schools don't bus kids to events)
-laundry/dinner prep
-class fieldtrips/plays/party's (I can attend during the day & make up the time)
-ability to make dental/doctor appts & work them into your schedule vs taking a day off work to accommodate
-Summer child care/camps
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Post by bc2ca on Apr 14, 2016 18:41:03 GMT
You really can't determine that value, and even if you could, I would caution adding that in. A good employer will pay an employee the fair, market rate for the job being done. The location is (and should be) irrelevant to the conversation. I hope that makes sense... don't upvalue or down value the compensation because it is home based or not. If the job (no matter where you office) doesn't pay what you need it to for your lifestyle, then it isn't right for you. I would be honest with him, like you were with us. You enjoy and need the flexibility of working from home. If he can't make modifications to the schedule to suit you, I think you will be unhappy no matter what it pays. As a former HR person, this is what I was going to say. With your current job, I wouldn't expect you to take less pay than someone doing the same exact work who goes into the office every day. Pay is not based on your needs, it is based on the work you do. The timing just doesn't sound right for this opportunity. |
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trollie
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Post by trollie on Apr 14, 2016 18:44:17 GMT
No way. Unless you think your current position might be eliminated, I would stay put.
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SweetieBsMom
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Apr 14, 2016 18:50:05 GMT
I wouldn't give up working from home. I work 5 days a week in an office and I miss working from home.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2016 18:51:13 GMT
You really can't determine that value, and even if you could, I would caution adding that in. A good employer will pay an employee the fair, market rate for the job being done. The location is (and should be) irrelevant to the conversation. I hope that makes sense... don't upvalue or down value the compensation because it is home based or not. If the job (no matter where you office) doesn't pay what you need it to for your lifestyle, then it isn't right for you. I would be honest with him, like you were with us. You enjoy and need the flexibility of working from home. If he can't make modifications to the schedule to suit you, I think you will be unhappy no matter what it pays. I am negotiating from a position of strength here, because he was very clear he wants me and it's mine for the taking - he will not post the position unless I pass on it. We have broad salary ranges for different job families and I know the range for this role. He has significant latitude in compensation as long as it's in the broad range, and he knows the work-from-home thing is a big deal to me. This job will never be a 100% remote job because it involves working with customers to a degree. I'm OK with that. I have been planning to go back to the business line (I'm in a corporate position now) when DS was a couple years older, but this opportunity is presenting itself now. The specifics of this position would make it foolish for me to pass it up just because I like working from home; it is a big promotion in my area of specialty and makes me the identified successor for my long-term "dream" position. I don't want to leave money on the table. Women are notoriously bad at negotiating compensation. While I'm great at negotiating with customers, I'm not great at it when it comes to doing it for myself. |
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anniebeth24
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Post by anniebeth24 on Apr 14, 2016 20:35:06 GMT
Don't forget the cost of care for your son during the summer months if he has a traditional school year.
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kate
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Post by kate on Apr 14, 2016 22:40:26 GMT
How many years out were you planning/hoping to change jobs? If this is just a matter of "discomfort" for 2-3 years before you'd planned on doing it anyway, then it might be worth it to get to your dream job.
If, however, you'd planned on your current situation for the next 10 years (until DS goes off to college), then the "discomfort" might not be worthwhile.
Honestly, after your first post, I thought it didn't sound like a good tradeoff. After your second post, however, I think it sounds worth considering.
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Post by 950nancy on Apr 14, 2016 22:54:21 GMT
It sounds like you are considering it to make your mentor happy. Other than that, what are the benefits to taking the part-time office job? Perhaps that opportunity might present itself again in several years when your son is older, but for now, it really seems like it isn't the best opportunity for your family.
I just started working from home in December and only part-time, but honestly, it is so very different than working out of the house. I love the freedom (my hours are flexible) and I am able to do get some things done around that schedule that I just couldn't. Plus I love working from home in my jammies when I want.
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johnnysmom
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 15, 2016 0:16:30 GMT
I don't know if you can put a dollar value on it but a few things to consider:
Extra vacation time
Does your dh work typical business hours where ds could be picked up at 5 or 6, or are you looking at needing someone in your home to take care of dinner/homework/bath/etc?
Are you able to determine which days you'll be out on appointments so you can still arrange your schedule around ds's? If not can you at least adjust it seasonally so you work later on Monday/Wednesday during baseball season and Tuesday/Thursday during soccer season or whatever.
Can you start later/earlier so at least somedays you can get ds either to or from school
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Post by bc2ca on Apr 15, 2016 1:44:47 GMT
You really can't determine that value, and even if you could, I would caution adding that in. A good employer will pay an employee the fair, market rate for the job being done. The location is (and should be) irrelevant to the conversation. I hope that makes sense... don't upvalue or down value the compensation because it is home based or not. If the job (no matter where you office) doesn't pay what you need it to for your lifestyle, then it isn't right for you. I would be honest with him, like you were with us. You enjoy and need the flexibility of working from home. If he can't make modifications to the schedule to suit you, I think you will be unhappy no matter what it pays. He has significant latitude in compensation as long as it's in the broad range, and he knows the work-from-home thing is a big deal to me. This job will never be a 100% remote job because it involves working with customers to a degree. I'm OK with that. I have been planning to go back to the business line (I'm in a corporate position now) when DS was a couple years older, but this opportunity is presenting itself now. The specifics of this position would make it foolish for me to pass it up just because I like working from home; it is a big promotion in my area of specialty and makes me the identified successor for my long-term "dream" position. I don't want to leave money on the table. Women are notoriously bad at negotiating compensation. While I'm great at negotiating with customers, I'm not great at it when it comes to doing it for myself. All of the bolded above are great reasons to take the job and negotiate at the high end of the salary range. Negotiating from a position of strength and knowing the salary range puts you in a great power spot, but you still need to base your salary request on the experience and skills you are bringing to the table, not the added expenses of childcare and loss of family time. These elements obviously play into your decision but will not enhance your credibility if you use them to push for a higher end salary. As you have said, he approached you - I'd swing for the fences on the salary. Worst case is he says no and you negotiate for a 3 month or 6 month review or decide the compensation isn't worth the lifestyle change right now. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2016 3:40:27 GMT
I've worked from home for 15 years and it has been a HUGE benefit to our family. Whenever I have a conflict like yours I fall back on the mantra my Dad seeded in my head...
"There will always be opportunities to make money and build a career, but you get one shot raising your kids and there are no do-overs."
Right now your 8-year-old is easy to take care of after school. In middle and high school there are going to be after school activities, clubs, organizations, tutoring, etc. You are going to NEED the flexibility you have now until your DS can drive himself. This timeframe is going to last you about five years so keep that in mind while you process your decision.
It's wonderful to be wanted, but it is also a time where you have to really look at what your priorities are and fall back on that foundation to help make your decision.
There are times I wish I would have pursued other career paths. More times than not I thank my lucky stars I have stayed right where I am because something is always coming up.
Good luck!
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Post by Delta Dawn on Apr 15, 2016 3:50:39 GMT
You also need work attire for how ever many days a week you work. The banks around me are very casual now and they honestly dress down too much. Sure I am a clothes snob, but you should wear clothes that fit if you are in management. That means no grease stains, buttons missing, hems coming down, etc. You will need dress slacks, skirts/dresses, blouses, and maybe a jacket. You will also need shoes and socks/pantyhose/something to stop blisters from forming on your feet. There is parking or bus transportation to consider. The gas and wear and tear on your car or extra time commuting if taking a bus/subway/train. Here there are extra car insurance categories for work driving that are a LOT more money than just pleasure driving. Just things to think about...
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