To Stay or Not to Stay?

I am on the fence about leaving my current job. I've been weighing out pros and cons. WWYD?

Pros
- I like the work
- Good work/life balance overall
- No micro managing
- family-friendly (me and FH plan/hope to get pregnant next year)
- Never had a problem if I come in late/leave early, vacation time has never been denied
- Nice colleagues

Cons
- Company isn't managed well
- I don't feel challenged
- underpaid (but check will be better next year when I can go on FH's insurance)
- moody boss (though outside of work I like her a lot)
- Currently a bad commute (though I may move in 2 years to somewhere closer)
- Benefits aren't great (15 days paid time off and 40ish percent of insurance covered by company)

ETA: I have been at this job for just under 3 years. I got my first raise a few months ago :(

Message edited 9/12/2014 5:51:05 PM.

Re: To Stay or Not to Stay?

I think many of your cons will be experienced at any company. Also, 15 days of vacation is typical and 40% of your benefits covered is above normal.

What I don't see on your list is whether you are professionally fulfilled by your current role, if there's room to grow, etc.

Re: To Stay or Not to Stay?

To me, most of your pros -- liking your work, having a good work/life balance, having a company culture that aligns with your values/life (family friendly, etc.), and working among nice colleagues -- are essential for job satisfaction, and are often hard to come by.

I personally put more weight on those things than making more money and feeling challenged. But I come from the perspective of having made a voluntary (but carefully deliberated choice) to leave a very challenging career that involved grueling hours, lots of travel, high stress, and made for a difficult work/life balance, but provided a very high salary and great benefits. I left my job to go to a more flexible, enjoyable career (albeit for less $ and prestige).

I think you have to consider YOUR personal values. To some people, the challenge and the monetary rewards are at the heart of job satisfaction, and for others, the work/life balance come first. But in my experience, no job or company or position is "perfect." There will always be tradeoffs -- and I think to make a lot of money and be constantly challenged, you usually have to take on more responsibility and work more (and have less flexibility).

But if you are considering starting a family, you should consider what you will really want/need from a job. Being a working mother (especially in my previous career) is one of the hardest things I've ever done. And I think many working mothers would gladly take a cut in salary and benefits for more flexibility and to be happier in their jobs.

I also think that a lot of your cons are things that perhaps could be found at your current job. As the PP said - is there a possibility of advancement? Can you ask to take on more or different responsibilities in your current role? Is it possible that you could get a raise in the future? As for commute, you said that you may plan to move in the future.

It may be easier to find some of the things you are looking for at your current job than it is to find the "pros" of the current job somewhere else.

Re: To Stay or Not to Stay?

Re: To Stay or Not to Stay?

I'd definitely start looking and see what comes up.

I have found that when I try to convince myself of all the positives at a job, it's time to move on.


Some of those are pretty big cons IMO.

Re: To Stay or Not to Stay?

I agree w/ Christine's post and I would lean toward staying. My job is similar to your list in every way, except my Cons do not include a moody boss or bad commute or benefits. My job IMHO is one of the least stressful areas of law for a lawyer (no fault insurance defense litigation) and having had the experience of working at larger NYC law firms, I found the list of my Pros vastly outweighed my Cons - even though I would be earning more $$ doing more challenging legal work. However, I have no desire to deal with a horrible commute and more stress working for nasty bosses/partners.

Given your list, I would stay even w/ the commute and lousy benefits because you can always save money from your paycheck into a separate IRA, HSA or savings acct. As for commuting - as you just said, if you moved closer to work, that issue would also be resolved.

In my opinion, finding a collegial work environment where you don't experience awful stress is a HUGE Pro that many employees never find. Plus, there is the risk that you leave this job - go somewhere that you think would offer you more challenge, more $$, etc and after a few months you realize its a bad fit or they decide you aren't up to their standards..It cuts both ways.

Re: To Stay or Not to Stay?

To Stay or Not to Stay?

I agree; doesn't hurt to start looking. Work life balance/short commute/flexibility coming in late; leaving early; being out in general. Are things I should have thought about years ago before starting a family. They're very important. You might find the money will not be worth it when you're not home with your kids.