I’m just running through options in my head & thinking aloud on here.

I’m 44 (yes MLC), I have a wife, 10yr old son, a cat, 6 chickens & some fish.

Pros & cons of:

1) Go part time (1/2 my hours) in existing job which I’ve done for a long time and have grown to hate the politics in, has impacted on mental health, working 12hr day & (hate) night shifts, lack of care for staff, i’m a bit bitter and twisted about it in a love / hate kinda way. The 12hr shifts that i do allow for good gaps of time off work when part time & allow possible top up of cash if i work additional shifts. Work all public holidays, so time away from home at Christmas etc.

2) Try something totally new, go full time, cut my current full time wage in half working mon-fri 9-5. More normal time at home.

Part time money in current job would be same as that in full time new job. Either way we’d struggle financially on the above incomes, but staying full time in current role just looks bleak.

Opinions and views appreciated.

Go part time in short term, whilst re-training/ night school/ college course in something that interests you and will eventually lead to better wage once qualified, so dip in wages is in short term?

If you really don’t like the job then you’ll possibly not enjoy it any more (or hate it any less) by simply doing less of it. It might be that you can genuinely enjoy the time off and never think of work for a moment. But people I’ve known who’ve cut their hours for the same reasons have just found they just spent their time off dreading going back to work.

I’ve also know a few just quit their job entirely because they were so unhappy – only to find out they were still unhappy. It was them, not the job that was the problem, they just blamed the job because thats what was always there.

Try something totally new, go full time, cut my current full time wage in half working mon-fri 9-5. More normal time at home.

Do you know what something totally new is already? And are you 100% sure its going to be for you in the mid-long term?
Been through a similar situation myself and came up with about 5 somethings totally new and also realised they’d probably only keep me happy for 2 years or so before I got bored so decided to stay put.

A “normal” working week is not all it’s cracked up to be.

I work continental shifts, 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off. The time off is the compensation for the petty politics and general ineptitude of my managers and workload. I find that worrying about it makes no difference, so I don’t. I did a stint “on days”. During the winter I got up, drive to work in the dark, hated it, drive home in the dark, eat tea, bum about, go to bed, repeat. The weekends were too short to do anything meaningful, I just didn’t have enough time. Now I have more time off and when weekends come around they are longer and are more special. I also see more of my kids on shifts than I did on days.

Is it your job you don’t like or the company? If it’s one or the other then do the thing you need to break free of that. Money isn’t everything and you would manage, it will just be different.

Life is too short to be unhappy, but you are in control of your happiness.

It certainly reads like you need a change. I’d go for it but my circumstances are different to yours. If you can make things work on less money then that seems like a good step, especially if you have a few quid saved up.

Many of us dread change, in which case it would be less stressful to reduce hours in current job, but set yourself goal(s) on how to use that extra free time to either do some training and/or try something new.

I’m in a similar-ish situation, but coming from the other side of the coin. I fancy joining the part-rent-part-buy bandwagon, but at the same time, I can’t see myself sticking in my current job for another 20 years (politics, stress, fatigue). Absolutely no idea what I’d do instead and it would almost certainly reduce my wages, which then means more hours, which I know from experience runs me down to the point of exhaustion. Between a rock and a hard place! 😆

Cheers for the replies. It is a little like Russian roulette in terms of stay or go. Doesn’t help that I’m the main wage earner. It has crossed my mind that it may be my mind set & that’ll travel with me, but I won’t know unless I change.

You could always try to look objectively at your position now.List all the things that annoy you about your current job and all the things you like.
From this you can see if the things that piss you off can be sorted out by moving jobs, changing work patterns or a different outlook.
There will always be politics and dicks in most workplaces how much or little you are impacted depends on the role..

the grass isn’t always greener but you’ll never know if you don’t try…..had a similar situation and quit a job i was in for around 13 years, didn’t really like it but i was well-thought of and the money was good and the hours suited but i was miserable….went to work in a bike shop, now i’m skint and miserable! Guess that says more about me than the job though….life is what you make it, change your job and keep smiling! 🙂

Nightshifts can really grind you down. It’s maybe time for a change. Especially if the shifts muck with your digestive system and you don’t have great amounts of time together as a family.

You can’t buy back time. You can’t buy back your health from those 12hour shifts either.

Try a different employer IMO.

As you correctly pointed out the mindset my travel with you.

Thats one thing i chose to pick apart and analyse a bit.
Took a while, but finally came to the conclusion that what i really wanted wasnt a change of job, it was to retire.

Having arrived at that conclusion the logical choice is to suck it up and keep getting paid a reasonable wage. The only way i can see me changing is if i can earn the same amount for less effort.

Hopefully not the same for you, but worth really trying to dig into the core of the problem before making any big decisions.

Epo …you are me just 10 years ahead of me.

I see your current in my future soon.

Typing from a hotel in turkmenistan.

Really hacked off with my job the now possibly the post holiday blues . How ever its times like these im glad i drive a banger and dont have a flash house.

Might not get any interest on savings but its nice to know that if i really really really need to leave this job they can be told to stick it .

For me id be going to roughly 1/3 maybe even 1/4 of the wage, it would be enough to pay the bills though , the 9-5 is over rated yes but when im not getting the time off i should be after long stints away – traveling for work is pish too.

I work 50% and value the extra non-working time far more than the money I could earn.