New job with weekends off

[Farmdog267]

Howdy All,

I'm looking for some advice or insight... I've been working for a John Deere Dealer which is a M-F position 7:30-5:30 and Saturday from 7:30-2pm. Our hours do go longer on Monday and Wednesday in the spring time.

Anyhow, I found a job doing similar work with a local freightliner dealership. Its a Monday - Friday job as the service department is not open on Saturday..

I'm trying to figure out how much of a pay cut it would be worth to have Saturdays off. I've been with Deere for 3 years and been in the same industry for about 15 years. This new position would be new in some ways but similar in some ways. I love the equipment industry as much as the trucking industry and anything diesel so I am excited for the new position and the additional freedoms it includes.

That being said.. I Don't have an offer yet but I'm anticipating I'll be starting lower than what I currently make which is about $80-$85k with bonuses. Loosely speaking, if you were considering a new job which gave the bonus of a 5 day work week compared to a current 6 day week, how much would it be worth to you? I'm married, no kids yet but hopefully within a year or so...

Thanks for any input or advice.

 

[props2you]

I can't speak to the day-to-day workday, I'm a serial entrepreneur, but I do have some insight into time value. With that said, yes there is tremendous value in your down time, the caveat being affording the opportunity to arrange or rearrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate your play time. Work/Life balance is important for your health and sanity. Sounds like you have fewer family obligations (kids etc.), but need to consider the future.

Jobs come and go, your time with friends and family will be the things you remember, not jobs or deals! Saturday's off are appealing if you think you can swing it, DO IT!! You only live once, make the most of it!

 

[Beachbummer]

Here is a crude mathematical model..... assuming you value your Saturday hours slightly higher than your other hours.... (maybe 25% more)

You current income = 9.5 hours per weekday at normal value 47.5 +(7.5 *1.25 Saturday hours = about 9.5, rounding out) about 57 "Value hours"

Will the New job have 9 hour days? or 10 hour days? we'll hit at 9.5 about 47.5 (Same as your current weekday hours) Which is about 82% of your current hours.

So in theory, if you value you Saturday hours this way, and all else was equal and you were willing to take the cut, you are looking at $64K comparable to your $80K low number.

There are so many other variables, such as growth opportunities, benefits and work environment that this information alone does not cut it, at all. I would recommend you do your best to remain as close as possible to your current salary. Also, what are the bonus chances, and how have they been paid in prior years?

Do they provide regular increases? do you have to switch jobs again if you want to improve your earning?

Lots of questions, best of luck! My humble suggestion is to interact with current employees doing what you do and gauge their experience. Take one or two to a cheap lunch and get them talking about the job so they spill the beans. It's hard to fake enthusiasm for a position, and you can ask what you like, what you dislike, etc, and get a real feel for the job and employer that way.

From the hiring side I can tell you as a manager that hiring is the hardest thing I do. When hiring you may be able to do everything right, and still get it wrong, so it's a bit nerve wrecking to get a surprise in spite of your due diligence. If you are a good fit, and you are interested (as it seems you are) this is the time to ask for additional pay or benefits. Once you are on it's generally not as easy to modify those. More Vacation is sometimes flexible depending on the place. Pay is definitely flexible. If the offer comes lower, bring up that your current income is higher and that you want to come over, but you need some help filling the gap so the impact is not as big.

Again, Best of Luck!

 

[2kwik4u]

Negotiate EVERYTHING. Vacation, Bonuses, Sick Leave, Benefits, and of course, Salary. Know your worth and ask for it. You won't get what you don't ask for.

I've always looked at "total compensation package" to determine if I'm getting a good deal or a bad deal. This bit me in the arse on my last job move. The company is phenomenal from a culture and work place perspective, but the pay is 80/20 salary and bonus. I have the potential to make exactly the same as I was before, or up to plus/minus 20% depending on how the bonuses/company does. Adjusting to the lower monthly paycheck and then "buffering" the bonus has been SIGNIFICANTLY harder than I anticipated......to the point, I'm considering a move again after only 15mo here. Great company, but I need that compensation package to not only be higher overall, but to be well timed for the family.

Another thing to consider is career development. Is this a sideways move, upwards, downwards? Don't chase a schedule or paycheck only. Finding something that is interesting to you, as well as advances your career (more knowledge, skills, etc) is worthwhile. I'm debating that now. I have an opportunity to possibly double my income, and work from home for an amazing company.......but it's not in my field, and would be a COMPLETE departure from the career I've built. Not sure I want to push that "reset" button just for a giant payday.

Consider your family/living situation as well. Is $80k just keeping the lights on, or is $80k living the life of luxury? If you can spare $1k/mo ($700/mo bring home), then maybe that $68k job with Saturdays off is worthwhile. If you're already rubbing nickels togethor, then take a paycut, you aren't going to be doing anything on your Saturday except sitting at home anyway right? My suspicion is it's somewhere in between, otherwise it's an easy choice

I have two little boys, so if I could swing the lower rate, I would take the time and never look back.

 

[Farmdog267]

Negotiate EVERYTHING. Vacation, Bonuses, Sick Leave, Benefits, and of course, Salary. Know your worth and ask for it. You won't get what you don't ask for.

I've always looked at "total compensation package" to determine if I'm getting a good deal or a bad deal. This bit me in the arse on my last job move. The company is phenomenal from a culture and work place perspective, but the pay is 80/20 salary and bonus. I have the potential to make exactly the same as I was before, or up to plus/minus 20% depending on how the bonuses/company does. Adjusting to the lower monthly paycheck and then "buffering" the bonus has been SIGNIFICANTLY harder than I anticipated......to the point, I'm considering a move again after only 15mo here. Great company, but I need that compensation package to not only be higher overall, but to be well timed for the family.

Another thing to consider is career development. Is this a sideways move, upwards, downwards? Don't chase a schedule or paycheck only. Finding something that is interesting to you, as well as advances your career (more knowledge, skills, etc) is worthwhile. I'm debating that now. I have an opportunity to possibly double my income, and work from home for an amazing company.......but it's not in my field, and would be a COMPLETE departure from the career I've built. Not sure I want to push that "reset" button just for a giant payday.

Consider your family/living situation as well. Is $80k just keeping the lights on, or is $80k living the life of luxury? If you can spare $1k/mo ($700/mo bring home), then maybe that $68k job with Saturdays off is worthwhile. If you're already rubbing nickels togethor, then take a paycut, you aren't going to be doing anything on your Saturday except sitting at home anyway right? My suspicion is it's somewhere in between, otherwise it's an easy choice

I have two little boys, so if I could swing the lower rate, I would take the time and never look back.

The job move would be leaving the Green Industry (Power Equipment and Landscape equipment) and going into Transportation industry. With all the new regulations, and how much crap going on with these diesel engines, it's certainly a secure job that isn't going away unless we get into the Jetson mobiles soon. It would be growing on skills I already have while also acquiring new skills and broadening my technical knowledge base in an area I'm interested in. The $80k or so does well; I'm not driving a different corvette each day of the week but I'm not eating ramen noodles either. (No judgement to anyone who does; lol) My current job is a sales manager for the store so its salary + commission + bonus. I'm certain the potential is there to see 6 figures in another year two to 3 years. That is all well and fine but as my family grows and children come into the mix, I am nearly certain that additional weekly time off or even every other week time off is not in the cards. We are blacked out the whole spring season company wide. Further more, that is generally the busy time of the year and I don't enjoy a job that is slow or dragging so the opportunity to have a steady job that is busy more of the year is also a plus to me. (Both mentally as well as monetarily.)

Thanks for the insight.