I currently live in Leeds but work in York, I’ve applied and got a the same job in Leeds which pays £2.50 more a hour and obviously I will save money on fuel and save time.

Both jobs are the same with the same firm, just different people/location

However I really enjoy my job in York, I’m part of a great team.

The job in Leeds has a reputation for a toxic atmosphere, when I have visited on various occasions (as it’s with the same company I currently work for) no-one looks happy and you just get a negative attitude from people.

So what would singletrack do, keep the current job with more commuting and lower pay or take the new job at the risk of working with **** with less commuting and more money?

As much as money is good and commuting bad, I would stay with the good team.

I’ve done commuting and it sucks. I’ve done the working for more money with a shit environment and it sucks.

Err… move to York?

Stick with current job if you’re happy. I stayed too long in a toxic environment- after I’d left I realised how bad it was and what affect it had on my general happiness.

Hard to make a suggestion for you to be honest. Some people would say they just go to work for the pay and minimal hassle, don’t want to be social. Some other people really value having work and their colleagues as a significant part of their daily life.

It feels from your post that you aren’t going in as e.g. the new team manager, so if the new team does suck you won’t be in a position to change it. It also sounds like you value having good colleagues. So it’s a question of whether the extra time and money is enough to lose that, not easy.

Is this really a question that needs asking? I’d happily pay £100 a week to go back to how my job used to be.

Curious how your company gets away with paying two rates for one job though.

£2.50 an hour is a fair bit to forgo but how much is being happy at work worth? I assume the better paid version is because they are having trouble recruiting and retaining staff.

ON balance I would probably stay and fogo the money

Ask for a raise based on an offer you have received.

If you are good enough to draw the higher salary in Leeds you’re worth that for the SAME company.

If not then it’s probably time to look for a less **** up organisation to work for.

Curious how your company gets away with paying two rates for one job though.

My first reaction too. Can you try and argue for a raise to stay where you are?

Unless you can change the atmosphere in Leeds, stay where you are. I’m assuming you can’t relocate nearer York, which I’m assuming is more expensive.

I’m just a minion so can’t change the team, relocation isn’t a option at the moment due to cost. Pay is negotiated by region, it’s common in my line if work

You seem to be happy in York and the extra hourly rate is just that – extra, I’d be thinking I’d be staying in York as nothing is bad there.
The extra wage and less commute time is a serious consideration (less commute more appealing to me than the increase in salary) but the bad atmosphere removes either of those benefits. If the place isn’t nice to be in then how will you manage to keep doing a good job?
Personally, I’d stick to where I was as work environment is more important to me than more money.
Your choice though.

I would go to Leeds because of the short commute, I really value my not-working time.
But then I’m a miserable bugger and have little to do with my colleagues anyway so I probably won’t notice much difference in that respect.
.
Also, would the extra pay and less travel costs allow you to do fewer hours and spend less time I the unpleasant one?

2 hours ish a day extra to do what you want? Not mention a 1200-1500 saved in fuel annually

Is 2.50 an hour a big percentage increase?

I’d be biting their arm off. I’ve got to an age where I truly couldn’t give a **** what what my colleagues are like, I go in, I do my job, be jovial, then go home to do things I like with people I like.

That’s a lot of extra money plus saved cost of fuel and time back on your day. At 7.5 hours day, 5 day week it’s around £4.5-5K pa extra. I’d put up with a miserable team for that.

tomhoward
Full Member
2 hours ish a day extra to do what you want? Not mention a 1200-1500 saved in fuel annually

Is 2.50 an hour a big percentage increase?

I’d be biting their arm off. I’ve got to an age where I truly couldn’t give a **** what what my colleagues are like, I go in, I do my job, be jovial, then go home to do things I like with people I like.

100% agree. Are you truly happy? Why are you looking for/ applying for different jobs?

Depends on the finances currently I think, if you currently have all the money you need and a load of disposable income then it’s not worth the risk to your happiness to change to a miserable job.

If after bills currently you are left with £50 a month and eat beans on toast for dinner 4 nights a week then the massive percentage rise in disposable income will offset the hassle.

I reckon the percentage for me would be 100%. If the new job after taxes and fuel costs are calculated would double your disposable income or more then do it

I agree with the advice about staying where you are happy, and trying to make it even better (and better paid) if you can. The Leeds job sounds grim. How dreadful is the commute? I did Otley to York by car for 3 years and it made me miserable, whereas taking the train from a house in Leeds city centre to a job in York city centre might be more enjoyable. We now live in York, and I get 4 miles on a cycle path each morning – worth it for me.

Whereabouts in Leeds to whereabouts in York?

If you’re say west of Leeds then I can imagine the commute, I wouldn’t want to do it.
If north of Leeds then it can’t be that hard to get to say Wetherby & commute in to York via Rufforth, that for me would beat the A64 hands down.
City centre to city centre I’d stick with the train & the happy York job.
I’ve had a job I hated, it really is not pleasant

Have you ever thought that you might be one of the reasons for the good atmosphere in York? Would it move if you moved? The net increase for less commuting is a large rise in remuneration and time. Commuting is not cheap.

I’d politely ask for a small pay rise and explain the situation. If the atmosphere is that good and you have good relations, why not? Why did you apply in the first place if not to improve your situation?

Have you ever thought that you might be one of the reasons for the good atmosphere in York? Would it move if you moved?

I wondered that too! And whilst you might think you can’t change Leeds, you might be surprised how someone coming in with the right attitude, from somewhere that has a better culture might just stimulate improvement.

How well do you know the people in Leeds? Can you get to the bottom of the culture problem? Its obviously not a top management issue if York is better, so is it local management, a local group of people, a performance issue that means they are always squeezed?

How well do you get on with your current manager? Could you have a conversation with him along the lines of: “Look I’ve been offered the Leeds job. I really like it here, and we all know the Leeds team are supposed to be pricks, but the money and commute is too good to ignore – if I go there and they are as bad as the reputation can I come back here in a month?” if you worked for me and I liked you, for an internal transfer I’d probably say yes; in fact if I liked you, knew the leeds issue and had a few sensible contacts I’d probably see if you could be a stimulus for change (or at least an internal spy to get to the root of the problem). Will he know you’ve been offered Leeds anyway? if you turn it down he’ll get a message that money isn’t critical for your happiness (which may be true but is a bad negotiating position for money!)

Alternatively – start looking for a new job in a different company closer to Leeds?

The OP wrote ‘…Pay is negotiated by region’ which negates some of the comments ^^^
Elimination of commute is a consideration but relevance is influenced by whether it’s driving or train.

I’m just a minion so can’t change the team

Everyone is a minion to some degree. However, as changing the team is something you can’t yet do that’s what you’d be stuck with. ‘Toxic’ work environments are always due to a failure of leadership. That being the case, until that changes in Leeds it’ll suck.

Commuting to York from Leeds must be tedious and expensive. I can understand your interest in working closer to home. But from what you say it does not sound like it would be a nice move: a shorter trip, but into hell.

What other options can you consider?

By the way, always worth asking for more money unless it is truly known by all that Leeds always pays more.

If it was just the money then I’d take the better work environment all day long. The commute is a big factor for me. I spent years commuting and didn’t really think much about, it was just what you did. When I got a job with a short cycle in it was a revelation. I could suddenly do stuff in the week and completely free up weekends. Being able to see friends more or maybe join a club or two might easily make up for less fun at work.

When I got a job with a short cycle in it was a revelation. I could suddenly do stuff in the week and completely free up weekends. Being able to see friends more or maybe join a club or two might easily make up for less fun at work

This. When I was commuting to Harrogate from Leeds I wasn’t getting home til 7, meaning evening rides were a no go, as was anything else really (cinema, meals out) as I’d have to be up early the next day. Got a job in Leeds and I was home by 530-6, and no early starts. It’s brilliant. Not quite as brilliant as WFH, but nicer.

Someone wants to pay you £5k a year more for that, which will be roughly what you’ll have in your back pocket after fuel savings and tax? No brainer. Even if you are on 100k (unlikely on an hourly rate) when was the last time anyone got a 5% pay rise, doing the same job?

Would you go to a new company (unknown culture) under the same terms?

Yeah a lot depends on where in Leeds and where in York. I live in Leeds close to the M1/M62/A1 and travel to York for work every couple of weeks but it only takes me half an hour door to door.

If you’re the wrong side of each then it would be a nightmare commute, certain bits of York can be as bad for traffic as Leeds.

If that was the case I’d probably take the money and easier commute. But keep on the good side of the York lot!

Can you not just move to York? As much as I love Leeds (lived there for 5 years in my late 20s / early 30s) I would much rather live in York. Great pubs, friendly people, beautiful city and access to the countryside.

There is nothing worse for soul than working in a toxic atmosphere. I’m currently in that situation now with my present job and its affecting me mentally and physically. It also affects my family because dad / husband is utterly miserable at home.

Conclusion – stay with the good team, move to York. ;-D

The OP wrote ‘…Pay is negotiated by region’

Chief word there being negotiated. It’s not unlikely that for York to replace the op they may have to fork out more than the OPs current salary. It’s worth paying someone who knows the job more to stay than bring someone in, he’s got the evidence that the company will offer him more in a different location.

I’m also going to go against the grain a little and say, I moved from the centre of Edinburgh with a 1min45second* commute to an hour long commute from Peebles. Does the commute drag… Yes am I happier overall to be somewhere nice when I get home/ at the weekends? Absolutely.

Short commutes aren’t the be all and end all.

*If I absolute pelted down a pretty sketch traffic strewn hill

£100 a week pay rise and no commute? I’d be in Leeds faster than you can say it. I understand about working in ‘toxic’ environments – but there’s nothing to say that things won’t change in York too over time. And Leeds might be improved by you joining the team in just the same way!

There are a lot of variables here that could swing it either way for me.

Is your commute a train journey where you can read a book or a car journey where you’re sat swearing at traffic?

Do you have plenty of disposable income and savings or are you living hand to mouth?

Do you know the cause of the shittiness at Leeds? Will you be able to just get your head down and crack on or is it going to impact you daily?

If it were me, I think I’d be trying to negotiate a better rate at York and maybe the option to work at home a few days a week (obviously this may not work in your role!). If there’s no flexibility then I’d likely take the Leeds job but be looking for something else close to home where I’d not be in a shit environment just to hedge my bets. I might even consider a career change, the jobs market is pretty good at the moment.

Being a mathematical / analytical sort of person I’d have to try to break it down that way.

Working in Leeds:

Pros, assuming OP earns about average salary now, that £2.50 is going to mean taking home an extra £270 a month after tax.

Assuming they drive a normal sort of car, 40mpg on a run like that. 60 miles a day, so 1.5 gallons a day in old money, 6.8 litres so £9.50 a day in fuel, £190 a month working 20 days.

Time is the difficult one, Google maps say it’s 45 mins each way, not to be sniffed at, but you can’t underestimate how long inner city commuting takes, call it an hour saved every day.

So, in theory you’re £400 a month better off (assuming a few quid for the new commute) and you’re effectively working an hour less a day. £400 a month would buy some pretty nice holidays, bikes, cars or moving to a bigger house etc.

Only the OP can calculate how much ‘joy’ that money and time would bring them, and take a guess how much ‘sadness’ working with a toxic team would bring.

A year ago I would have said “take the money and time you fool” in a heartbeat, I wouldn’t have questioned it for moment. But, my life has been made hell by work in the last year. It’s no ones fault per-se, but my role has changed, I’m bored and I spend my days stuck in a small office on my own with nothing interesting to me to do. It’s played havoc with my marriage, I’m 5 weeks into anti-depressants and take counselling next week and last Wednesday I made plans to end my life. I don’t I’m not typing this via a ouija board. Don’t under value your happiness.

If you currently really enjoy your job then congratulations, you’re in a way better position than most of us :p

Assuming you didn’t have a realistic option to move back to the York team or quit and walk into a role elsewhere if you did find the Leeds role much worse due to the toxic atmosphere then I’d probably stay in your current role.

In my opinion, a LOT of it comes down to time of the commute. As has been mentioned, if you’re far side of Leeds to the far side of York, thats a whole world of pain no amount of money could reimburse me for. If youre east Leeds > west York then a blat across the A64 is 25 minutes which is nothing. It takes me 25 minutes to walk to the home office via a cup of tea, a catchup on social media/personal mails and a wee. If you’re using the train then it gets more tricky as time taken to walk to/from station, cost of trains themselves (even though they’re pretty decent/clean/fast between York and Leeds) etc you could potentially save a lot of time and money each month.

FWIW I left my job in Leeds earlier in the summer to go back and work for a company I’d previously worked for and enjoyed (I made a mistake by leaving). The Leeds job was ok but it bored me to death, the team dynamic was totally screwed and you got the feeling that managers would use any excuse to get rid of you and replace you with an offshore resource at the drop of a hat (which is what they did when I walked out).

In short, I’d take a slight drop in pay and being happy over working in an environment I didn’t like but only the OP can decide whether the less commute / higher pay is worth working with dicks.