Afternoon,

I have a job that I enjoy and am well respected for, I have been working for the company for 9 months and am quite happy.

I have heard through 3rd parties and staff that the company isn’t in a great financial situation and there are rumors that the IT team will be merged/axed/outsourced etc.

I have been offered another job, at a not for profit company, that offers care for the elderly, so it should be secure. Its on the same money (slightly better benefits) doing the same thing. The new job is 2 miles away and the existing one is 17 miles away from home.

Due to a recent divorce I simply cannot take the risk of not having a job as I have only just got myself back into the black financially.

I have handed in my notice and had a meeting with the HR director about how valued etc I am. I asked the question about outsourcing and he said not a chance. I asked the question about redundancies etc, he said no without saying no.

My question is…… What do I do? I’m genuinely stuck as to what decision to make.

I’m also acutely aware that I’m in a better position than some as I have a job and an offer of a new one.

Any comments gratefully appreciated.

PCB

Look after yourself – the new opportunity seems a better proposition all round.

Good question.

Rumours are only rumours until they come true (or never materialise).

If you’ve handed in your notice, they might be happy to enforce that. They might be happy for you not to go.

Remember, your redundancy rights are zero right now whether you work at the current place or the new one. If, on balance, you feel the new one gives you more security (for the reasons you stated), then that’s the better option. If you feel you have the same where you are, you could stay and make a good fist of it.

Tough choice. Go with your gut.

The new job is 2 miles away and the existing one is 17 miles away from home.

Well the new one seems miles better, you can ditch the car and cycle.

If you want to confirm if the rumours can be trusted then speak to the people who work in the Marketing & Sales dept. Ask them if they have been selling well recently. If they struggle to answer the number or projects going there is a great likelihood that the ship is sinking. Jump while you still can.

You’ve already handed in your notice and now youve got the jitters ‘ dont worry, the new job sounds much better.

Having faced redundancy twice, if I had a job to go to that looks secure versus one that potentially isn’t, then I’d take the new job.
An employer will say what they need to, in order to keep you until the point in time it suits them.
I’ve been out of work almost 6 months now, and wish I’d jumped rather than clung on due to me being loyal, I have my first job interview next week, it’s a bad time to be looking.

An employer will say what they need to, in order to keep you until the point in time it suits them.

+1

I’ve been out of work almost 6 months now, and wish I’d jumped rather than clung on due to me being loyal, I have my first job interview next week, it’s a bad time to be looking.

Bad luck, but the economy is improving and things are getting better and better.

and neither have you any better idea whether the new job has any security beyond your notice period…

Thanks for the input. Final decision in the morning, so off to bed.

I’d be taking the new job, it sounds better to me, closer to home (commute option), same role, more secure. Win win.

Leave on good terms with your old employer if at all possible. As if they go pop, you don’t know where they will end up.

Wouldn’t mention that you think they are in trouble as one of the reasons to be moving on through, that won’t go down well.

EDIT, respect and loyalty don’t pay the bills.

Are there any company KPI’s that are published? yearly sales, output, efficiency, leads etc? If not, then why not ask? there will be a lot of pointers as to the real financial status. Oh, and feel free to pull a set of accounts from companies house. Yours for £1.

the director will never tell you the true picture, it isn’t in his interest to push you away.

Personal story

offered a new job 18months ago I had been with current company for 12 months, it would have been a 2.5k rise, and the commute would have gone from 16miles to 500metres. Told my employer and got a 4k pay rise to stay. I stayed BUT..

I was nervous at the time because the company was making staff redundant, I had been told I was safe, but it does unsettle you a little. Since then the company keeps on making staff redundant, then rehiring, then making more redundancies. It is the way the company seems to work, thing is you never feel safe, you are always on edge wondering. Yes I have more money, but I do wonder if I should have gone*… You are the only person who can really answer the question, just how comfortable do you feel/want to feel.

*I was also told at the same time that my landlord have gone bust off the back of which I bought a house, which changing job might not have been the best thing to do.