I’m in a good old 2&8 about my job.

I recently handed in my notice as I got a offered a new as I’m a board at the place I work and felt like there was little scope for progression. On top of that long term I’d like to be self employed or small business in some way in the future and I don’t feel this helps me in that direction.

Old job is programming simulation code for training simulators. Fortran and C++ (more C with objects) plus odds and sods. New job is still programing but automation. Siemens, beckhoff and others. At the moment new job would pay slightly (like £500 p.a) less but is 2.5 hours a week less, pays overtime and travel bonus is much bigger.

Old job came to me this friday with an offer of what amounts to nearly a 30% payrise. I’m flabbergasted. Logic say stay when there is an offer like that but my worries are.

#1. Because my skills are quite “niche” (rather than a programmer that does business solutions) I would be unable to find a similar job without moving so be in the position of “golden handcuffs”.

#2. May be it is short term gain. Maybe there is much more scope for self employment? Anyone know this automation area? If so I should be able to reach the same income level and beyond quickly once I’m up to speed, but one in the hand being worth two in the bush and all that…

Flip me!

I’m sure I know what the NYC fast food employees would say to that kinda rise 😉

depends on what motivates you to get out of be in the morning.

You cannot buy happiness.

Seen this before.

They have now offered you a substantial pay rise because you have handed your notice in.

They didn’t think you were worth that salary until you decided to leave.

What does that say about the management that you are working for?

Difficult call really, if you need the extra salary then you would have to stay, but in all honesty, they don’t really value you for your work and contribution.

They are just trying to buy your loyalty.They may very well seek to employ someone alongside you, to learn your current skills etc

I would stay, but keep looking and move when the next opportunity comes your way.

Regards

Denis

I’ll agree to the last comment Denis makes.

Nothing wrong with staying. For whatever reason the company is being pragmatic and realises that it will cost a fair chunk to replace you, plus take a while to get new bod up to speed, so simpler just to offer a pay rise for you to stay.

Salaries have a lot of momentum, so nothing very cynical in this behaviour, it often takes an external event to make a change to someone’s pay above a few % pay rise / promotion. I once got a 50% pay rise when the entire team of department heads quit to form a new company and the directors realised they needed to quickly stem the haemorrhage of skills and stabilise the company.

Was in a similar position last year, bloody horrible thing to have worry about when you know staying isn’t right but the money would make a huge impact on your lifestyle.

Family thought I was mad when I turned it down. Happier now see more the kids worry less about being in such a badly managed company, truly frightening some of the stuff they thought they could get away with.

If you’re just bored then may be you could save for the next few years to give you a cushion to go it alone? I thought about this route, but it wasn’t just boredom I was dealing with.

If you’re going to be doing the same job get them to backdate the 30% payrise 12 months.

There’s a stat that something like 80% of people who accept a counter offer leave within 12 months. Ultimately, the reasons you wanted to leave are still there, the money doesn’t change that.

I would go.

Ultimately, the reasons you wanted to leave are still there, the money doesn’t change that.

I would go.

I agree with this.

wallop – Member

Ultimately, the reasons you wanted to leave are still there, the money doesn’t change that.

I would go.

I agree with this. [/quote]

Go … or they will screw you big time if they are the backstabbing sort.

OP. Are you not now under contract with the new company?

As others have said the reasons to move on are still there so if it were me I would leave, change is good. Your current employers have had plenty of opportunity to rightly recognise and reward your contributions.

Tell new employer you’ve had a counter offer, start new job with 30% payrise.

Depends if the reason you’re leaving is for money. However OP isnt so I’d mention it to the new company but without the intention of staying and see what happens.

They obviously value you greatly, tell them you want 50% backdated for 6 months & a contract for a year or so.
Then leave after a year or so.

Just handed notice in myself. Think if they offered me more money to stay I would turn it down out of sheer principle. Should have offered a token increase in July instead of the usual “company not performing, so next pay review in January” letter.
Go for the new job fella. Might evolve into something great over time.

@lung, that is what I am thinking, but then I will not have this job to go to. I wasa bit underpaid for my role so it it kind of 5% up to where I should be plus 4.something extra.

You never accept the first offer. Try the backdated payrise as suggested above.

Go.

You had plenty of good reasons for moving on, you’ve found a suitable job, you’ve been offered it.

Your current company knows you want to leave so they have no reason to invest further in you (other than financially) and will already be looking at a succession plan.

The only thing holding you back now is greed.

Stay if the only reason you were leaving was because you were 30% underpaid.

The other thing is that you once you back down you lose credibility. You can’t pull the same trick twice and I’ve seen several people end up taking pay offers once they’ve resigned and end up leaving accrimonisously a year or so later. When they resigned the 2nd time the management were really pissed off for obvious reasons. If they’d just gone properly the first time with a bit of class they could probably have got their old jobs back a couple of years down the line should they want to do that.

It’s not about money, go for the right reasons. Sounds like short\medium term money will be fine anyway. I’ve stayed in a similar situation to you and regretted it. I say go for it.
I’ve become cynical about any counter offers from employers

Go to the new job. If you were happy a week ago that the new job was fairly paid then that’s still the case.

Go! You were bored and this is a new challenge.
Less std hours and more overtime.
Another quiver to your bow.
etc, etc.
Same sort of commute, or can you arrive eating your toast?

I think scotroutes has it. It’s the greed thing and they are doing the everyone has a price. I do feel like I would be being bought and worry that I was now the bitch.

Same commute. Both cycling distnace, which suits me!

As was alluded to by someone above, if you do stay and say, 6 months down the road there is a business/economic downturn and the company has to reduce staff, someone in management might take the position: “TheBrick was ready to leave us a few months ago, so let’s let him go rather than someone else who hasn’t already tried to leave”.

My own experience recently was sort of similar, but not the same.

I had decided that I wanted to leave, and take the opportunity of retiring early.

Not the same as being offered another job, but nevertheless to leave.

Once I had made the decision to leave my motivation to perform my role dropped off dramatically. Not sure whether you might have the same energy in the role now, since you have realised that long term the role isn’t for you.

I would stil stay, short term , and look for something else.

The company are willing to look at you as a commodity, an under paid asset up until now, so I think you should be as cold hearted as well.

Personally, when someone handed their notice in with me, I alwayswishedhem he es for the future , never attempted to make them stay or change their mind.

I got offered a wedge to stay earlier this year. I still left as the job was destroying my soul.

I resigned 3 times from one company. First time they gave me a £4k rise in the January and said they would deal with all of my issues. They didn’t so resigned in the July. The CEO was calling me to retract my resignation and asked to meet me. Had a meeting and he gave me a £10k rise back dated to January. Finally left in December as all of the issues were still there I was just earning a lot more money.

It will make a difference in the short term if you can suck it up and it will help sort your finances out but long term the issues are still there.

Whether you stay or go, get wherever you’ll be with to send you on a ‘Written English’ course as part of the deal. 🙂

Too true br! I’m bad at the best of times but writing on a few tablet make s it worse.

I’d leave. They’re only offering what they think you’re worth now that you’ve handed in your notice; why didn’t they pay you that in the first place?
You’ve already decided to move on, the reasons for that won’t go away

IHNRAT.
developer salaries have rocketted in the last few years so if they haven’t been hiring similar posts probably were unaware, so I wouldn’t jump to say they didn’t value you before. I would agree with the comments about you weren’t leaving for £ so the immediate response is to leave. However the devil you know can always be better than landing somewhere unknown.

If it were me I’d be tempted to go back to them and say it wasn’t just money that was tempting you and improved work life balance, and opportunity to learn new things etc. If I have my sums right working four days, with a four percent rise would be an option, and let you either set up your own stuff on other day, or learn, or just ride your bike!

If you decide yo go ask for a 50% rise to see what they say.

As a rule never accept a counter offer.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2014/07/07/why-you-should-never-accept-a-counter-offer-when-you-resign/

poly speaks wisdom — could work out well all round.

Sure C and C++ are becoming more esoteric but that also means harder to fill posts – you could make yourself indispensable or nearly if you play your cards right!

I know someone who was in the same position ,he left for £30k a year more ,his employer said I’ll give you £30k to stay & wrote him a chq there & then !,guess what,took the chq & still left !…went to the new job as an MD ,was made redundant 6 months later when the receiver was brought in !,he set up on his own then sold for 10 mill 2 years later ,he’s worth 80 mill now ,true story !.

I’d go – you won’t get exposure to other skills in the place where you are, you’ll still be bored

Go with the option that will make you happiest. If it involves risk, so be it. Man up.

Given that you’re referring to your current job as your “old job” freud would say you’ve already answered your own question !

Now back in the office I have found the article as to why you should think long and hard before accepting a counter offer. Nothing wrong with asking your new employer if there’s anything they can do to make their offer closer to the counter, but don’t accept the counter:
Reason No. 1:
Statistics compiled by the National Employment Association confirm the fact that over 80% of those people who elected to accept a counteroffer are not with their company six months later.
Reason No. 2:
Where is the money for the counter offer coming from? Is it your next raise, early? (Many companies have strict wage and salary guidelines that must be followed).
Reason No. 3:
What type of company do you work for if you have threatened to resign before they give you what you’re worth?
Reason No. 4:
You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy. From this day on, your loyalty will always be in question.
Reason No. 5:
When promotion time comes around, your employer will remember who was loyal and who wasn’t. Which list do you think you will be on?
Reason No. 6:
When times get tough, your employer will begin the cutback with you.
Reason No. 7:
The same circumstances that now cause you to consider a change will repeat themselves in the future, even if you accept a counteroffer.
Reason No. 8:
Your company will immediately start looking for a new person at a lower salary.
Reason No. 9:
Accepting a counteroffer is a bribe and a blow to your personal pride. Were you bought?
Reason No. 10:
Once the word gets out, the relationship that you now enjoy with your co-workers will never be the same. You will lose the personal satisfaction of peer group acceptance.