hi

I need some objective advice, my friends are a bit biased as they say "whichever makes you happier, which do you feel?" etc etc

Basically I had a job offer today.

It's 2k per annum LESS but

it has more benefits namely

-5 extra days holiday per year
-Health care (i currently pay my own at the cost of ￡60 per month (becomes active after 1 year)
-Pension scheme in which they match my contributions to a max 5% of my salary (becomes active after 6 months)
-It's also closer and will get me home half an hour early
-foreign travel (will be hard work so not sure if thats a con rather than a pro!)

so are more benefits worth the salary drop? the sums evenly balance out, what I lose in salary I will eventually recoup in the paid for healthcare and pension contributions, but still, its less in my paypacket
hmmmmm??

cold objective advice pls

Those are some pretty decent perks.

I adrive up to an hour and a half each direction to and from work. I would take that paycut just to get a possible hour of my life back on days that i worked.

foriegn travel is usually great, even if you dont get to enjoy the city thats hosting you, as most places will give you a per diem rating.

The first three perks sound like they already cover the 2K loss, but that's something for you and your bean counter to sort out

the last two are more quality-of-life (although traveling can shafe ) and that depends on what you value more..

For me, the half hour earlier home would already be worth it


edit
nv :facepalm:

Personally I would probably do it just for the healthcare. I have none right now because I just can't afford. But, that might depend on how often you go to the doctor. I never go, but really because of money.

What I would personally do is look at your current situation. See if you can support yourself with a 2k reduced salary and then see how much your benefits outweigh the 2k extra salary. The Pension is what you should look along with the healthcare imho seeing how those would work out for you. It's always good to plan for retirement early and the Health Care should be carefully scrutinized to see what it does and does not cover. Health Care over in the US is finicky at the best of times and i'm not sure how the UK works out.

The 2k extra is indeed nice, but making it up in Pension and Health Care isn't too bad either. At 60 per month you're looking at 720 a year which is very close to 1/2 the extra 2k.

do it man, it seem the perks more then make up for the pay cut.

Depends on what your career goals are

Generally you choose the job that's going to add experience to your career field. I'd recommend starting there.

I think that the perks sound pretty nice. Seems like a good job offer to me.

I would take the job if I were in your shoes. The foreign travel sounds like it could be interesting.

How does the coverage of this employer's health care plan compare to the policy you currently pay for? Is your current policy better than or worse than the one this employer is offering?

edit: and while foreign travel can be interesting and invigorating at first, it can turn into an exhaustive, horrible experience in the long run.

Well, I'm not really happy where I am and don't see it getting better so I guess that even if I'm taking a salary drop to escape, the benefits will negate the difference.
Everyone seems pretty unanimous so far which is helping ty all so far.

both are fully comprehensive apparently, and yeah I am aware of the foreign travel danger but it would only be twice a year for a couple of weeks,

with the covered medical saving you ￡720 a year that technically leaves ￡1280 less per year. it doesn't increase your co-pay or deductible does it?

" -It's also closer and will get me home half an hour early"
about how do you spend on gas just for getting to work/home


"-foreign travel"
is the company paying for your travel expenses?

Well, if you aren't losing any coverage, then go for it.

It depends on what your salary is now, if you can take the 2k hit (and I'm guessing this is in Euros so its about 3k in USD or CDN) then go for it!

it's on the train, just a more direct route so no change in fare.

and yes, it will be all expenses paid, though probably budget flights/hotels etc

sounds like a good deal then, as long as your not having any money issues with your current income

The improvements in quality of life aspects are priceless in my opinion: definitely worth the 2K drop. If money turns out to be important I figure overtime or something may be available and you'll still have less stress. If I could go back in time I'd give myself the same advice.

As far as health benefits go, my experience is that corporate health schemes in the UK are of pretty nominal value, but all the other stuff sounds worth it.

I'd say it depends on two things: if you like/want the job itself, which I'm assuming you do, and if you can afford to take the pay cut. Having extra days off and shaving some time off of your work day is all well and good, but if you can't afford to pay the rent and live comfortably on 2k less I wouldn't do it. But if you can afford it, then I'd go for it.

It does sound better. I've worked where I had to commute for an hour, and then moved to where it was only 20 minutes, it really does give you more time and energy when you don't spend all your time on th road. I guess if you can afford to lose 2K, those benefits sound worth it.

Without knowing the specifics of each job, I'll address what you put up.

Your option - A job that pays 2,000 less a year, but

- Gives you more paid time off
- Health benefits that appear to be superior and not out of your own pocket.
- Matching pension scheme
- Shorter commute
- Opportunity to travel abroad

I can tell you this is a better option hands down for these reasons....

1. More time off with pay is always good. Don't know what the default is, but being able to take more time for a holiday means you can enjoy some trips that would not be otherwise possible absent being granted unpaid leave time to make the trip.

2. Health benefits are subject to change, but if they are better, that's money you gain in the sense of better benefits.

3. Any matching pension scheme (like the 401K in the US) is free money. Put in the max your employer will match and that's more money. Put in 2,000 every year and your employer is now giving you that 2,000 less except in your pension fund.

4. Shorter commute means more "me" time not being wasted going to work and back, also means savings on gas and travel that add up.

5. Traveling abroad can bring opportunities other jobs might not open up for you. I really wish I had a job that had frequent foreign travel just so I could go places and see things. Most people who expatriate to another country do so after frequent visits and realize they'd rather immigrate there. Hard to make that kind of choice when the most you swing is a couple of holidays there to take a look around.

also something to factor is whethor or not this job will look nicer on your resume, for the next and presumably better job you go after. the benefits are pretty nice although it still means you get paid less, which should not be that huge of a problem unless you have troubles finaincially with what you make now, and if that is the case more vacation days is actually bad, because you don't want to work less hours when you need the money.

Hmmm well I don't know what healthcare is like in Europe, I assume Europe because you use a different dollar sign in your post. I mean to me 2k annually less is WAY worth it in the U.S. Paying for your own prescriptions and doctors visit can put in the hole in the U.S. In the U.S. you could easily pay $200 month for health insurance for 12 months that's $2,400 a year out of pocket! And without health insurance it'd be WAY more a year! I used to take this one medicine that would cost $600 a month a prescription without health insurance! You balance that out to a year is $7,200. To me 2k less a year is worth it for the benefits.

Then again that is a U.S. perspective hard to say being that I don't live in your country.

￡ is UK. UK has free healthcare (and Wales has free prescriptions too), but you can play for private healthcare, which is sometimes desirable depending on the needs of the person in question.