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Would you go for this job or not????

2K views 30 replies 20 participants last post by  ilovemygirl 
#1 ·
DH has this job opportunity...but we aren't sure if he should take it or not. Here's the basics:

Job he has right now: makes $75,000 before taxes. Workload is on and off so he'll work for about 2 hours and then sit in the control room for 2 hours, work for another 2 hours and sit for 2 hours. Has the option of working over time whenever he wants to where he would get paid double time ($64.00/hour) for the 12 hour day. Works closely with 5 other guys who he gets along really well with. Works 2 day shifts 2 night shifts and then 4 days off. Job is repetative, same thing day in and day out. In the summer time temperatures soar. Works in a lead smelter, so has blood levels checked every 2 months. Current lead level is 25 (will get "leaded out" at 30 which means he will get transfered to another plant until his levels go back down, then brought back to lead smelter).

Job offered: would be salary making $150,000/year before taxes. Would be a boss position, so there's quite a bit of desk work involved. Would only be in the plant at the beginning of a shift, and after a shift with maybe a few minutes here and there to pop his head in and check on the crew. High stress dealing with WBC claims, worker complaints, etc. Would NOT be in the union, so there would be no union protection if he ever needed it. Would be working by himself. Since it's salary he would be expected to come in whenever he is needed. The last boss had to work for 30 days straight, working 12 hour days, because of the shut down. Lead levels would be lowered significantly because he would be exposed to lead about 12 hours less a work day.

We could really use the money since we had a huge set back a couple years ago with a renovation job gone bad....but I don't know if it's worth the stresses. Both jobs have pro's and con's, but I'm just not sure.
 
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#2 ·
Some random thoughts:

It really depends on your dh's personality: could he be a supervisor? Is he ok with having diffiicult conversations with employees? Will he feel isolated? Can he and your family deal with him working extra hours if needed? Does he prefer the type of work he does now to paperwork? Is there a career path from this position, so he could move up to something even better in the future?

To me, the reduced lead exposure would be a big plus.

If he decided that he was not a good fit for the new position, would he be able to go back to his old job?

Does he know the last person who had the position well enough to call or meet with on a day off to find out what the job is really like?

This supervisor role seems like one that would be more transferable to other industries, which could be great if something happens and the lead smelter industry changes. (I know nothing about it, so have no idea if the work could move overseas or be more automated with fewer employees in the future, or some other change.)

Good luck with the decision.
 
#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by its_betty View Post

Some random thoughts:

It really depends on your dh's personality: could he be a supervisor? Is he ok with having diffiicult conversations with employees? Will he feel isolated? Can he and your family deal with him working extra hours if needed? Does he prefer the type of work he does now to paperwork? Is there a career path from this position, so he could move up to something even better in the future?

To me, the reduced lead exposure would be a big plus.

If he decided that he was not a good fit for the new position, would he be able to go back to his old job?

Does he know the last person who had the position well enough to call or meet with on a day off to find out what the job is really like?

This supervisor role seems like one that would be more transferable to other industries, which could be great if something happens and the lead smelter industry changes. (I know nothing about it, so have no idea if the work could move overseas or be more automated with fewer employees in the future, or some other change.)

Good luck with the decision.
My DH COULD be a supervisor. He gets along well with mostly everyone. Can handle difficult situations well. He can quickly defuse a situation where someone is angry and upset. He does get more stressed out more than some people though.

The thing with the hours is that with the job he has now, he has the ability to work a lot of overtime if he wanted to. During the shut down where the last supervisor worked 30 days straight, DH could've done that too, except he would've got double time for every single day whereas the supervisor just got his regular salary.

There is no career path up from there. There's higher up management but they are all based on the coast. Since he would no longer be in the union he would not have his old job. If he didn't like this job, he would be stuck with it. If something happened and they decided to get rid of that position or if he made a mistake, he wouldn't be protected by the union and would probably just lose his job.
 
#4 ·
I would have the same questions as the PP. If it's a job that would really benefit his resume and it's something that he feels comfortable doing, I think the salary increase would be worth the stress. However, if it's not a good fit or it's a real dead end in terms of where he could go from there, I would hesitate.
 
#6 ·
The long term health ramifications of working around the lead would really scare me. I would take it just to get away from the lead. The double pay is awesome as well of course. But, for our family, the health risks of working around lead and the high blood level would really be concerning and we would be trying to get out of that job. This sounds like a great opportunity.
 
#7 ·
The huge health benefits are obvious with taking the management job.

How much does he take advantage of the OT now? If he is working tons of OT already, then being stuck working a lot of hours as a boss will not be much different time wise but you will still make more (I'm assuming) with the management job.
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovemygirl View Post

The huge health benefits are obvious with taking the management job.

How much does he take advantage of the OT now? If he is working tons of OT already, then being stuck working a lot of hours as a boss will not be much different time wise but you will still make more (I'm assuming) with the management job.
He actually doesn't take any overtime. One reason being the lead exposure, and two being that we love our time together as a family. We make the most of his four days off, and I also work as a casual so I pick up shifts when he's off so he gets time alone with the kids.
 
#9 ·
Time vs. Money ...

My dh just passed up a job for more money because of the time commitment and travel involved. We chose the same as you, I work on the weekend (I also babysit during the week) and dh stays with dd all weekend while I'm working.

Just for me, I will be honest and say that for the kind of money you are talking we wouldn't have even thought about saying no. Unless you are bringing in quite a bit with your part time work, 150k is an incredible - I dare say life changing - salary. I assume you wouldn't have to pick up shifts anymore (unless you wanted to) and the time your husband has off will be with all of you which means a lot.
 
#10 ·
Well, that money sounds...NICE (but then again, so does his *current* pay, for that matter!).

I'm gonna kind of be the voice of opposition here.

You're describing your Dh...and he sounds friendly, nice, like he likes to keep the peace, etc. Doesn't deal to well with stress. Being a supervisor is NOT about getting along with everyone, sure, you can be friendly, but you're going to piss people off, you're going to have to lay off and/or fire people...

And 30 days straight? Yeah. that right there - hell no.

A year ago my Dh went from being a low pay phlebotomist (just under $15/hr) to a Quality Supervisor (same company) and makes a nice salay - or, at least I THOUGHT it would be nice. But honestly, with all the OT he's had to work - all the open-close shifts, it barely pans out. Or, I guess it is still better - but point is this - we were FINE before. I even managed to save a decent amount of money each month.

Now DH is in a high stress job, works tons of hours and it causes stress between us - so not worth it. I miss the phlebotomist days.

IMO, time is worth way more than money, but yeah, everyone is different. If you don't mind a more stressed hubby (and you think he can handle it) and the possibility of him working 30 days straight w/o a break...
 
#11 ·
(ok completely ignoring the lead issue as you all have already made the choice to work with it)

Well the issue I see with the new $$$ job is that he could end up working TWICE as many hours... in affect working TWO jobs worth of hours. And well then you arent making $150k a year... you are working two $75k a year jobs.

And do you have a plan for what you are going to do with that extra money? What happens if he gets let go 6 months in? What is your backup plan?
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thystle View Post

(ok completely ignoring the lead issue as you all have already made the choice to work with it)

Well the issue I see with the new $$$ job is that he could end up working TWICE as many hours... in affect working TWO jobs worth of hours. And well then you arent making $150k a year... you are working two $75k a year jobs.

And do you have a plan for what you are going to do with that extra money? What happens if he gets let go 6 months in? What is your backup plan?
With the lead issue......we actually keep it relatively under control by following the Lead poisoning supplement suggestions in the perscription for nutritional healing book.

And yes...he could end up working 80+ hour work weeks, 30 days straight, who knows. And yes...he could very well be let go in a month, 2 months, 3 months......or kept until retirement.
 
#13 ·
It's tough. The position not being union, and he could be let go..that would scare the living beejeezus out of me, especially inthis economy. Let me ask...what exactly would happen to you if he took the job, then lost it? Would he be able to find a new job? Making what kind of money? Would you lose your house? Do you have any savings? etc.

The other thing is the salaried part...my dh is salaried. He is required to work a minimum of 50 hours to earn his salary..but there are weeks where it was pushing 80-90....you say you value your family time. Salaried positions can kill family time. (or not, but...)

The job he has now soudns nice except for the lead issue. Decent job, likes coworkers, makes a really nice salary, with the option of making more if he wants/needs to. It sounds like they stay on top of the lead thing, even if the "allowed" amoutn seems a bit high to me. I take it it is union, so protected?

I don't know..in this economic climate, a bird in the hand is worth more than 2 in the bush....I'd be terrified of taking the other job and him losing it. But..I'm a play it safe kind of gal. I suppose if you took it, and just saved the full 50% difference of every single paycheck, you could buildup a nice savings buffer...

I don't' know. It's very hard.

Good luck.
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobandjess99 View Post

It's tough. The position not being union, and he could be let go..that would scare the living beejeezus out of me, especially inthis economy. Let me ask...what exactly would happen to you if he took the job, then lost it? Would he be able to find a new job? Making what kind of money? Would you lose your house? Do you have any savings? etc.

The other thing is the salaried part...my dh is salaried. He is required to work a minimum of 50 hours to earn his salary..but there are weeks where it was pushing 80-90....you say you value your family time. Salaried positions can kill family time. (or not, but...)

The job he has now soudns nice except for the lead issue. Decent job, likes coworkers, makes a really nice salary, with the option of making more if he wants/needs to. It sounds like they stay on top of the lead thing, even if the "allowed" amoutn seems a bit high to me. I take it it is union, so protected?

I don't know..in this economic climate, a bird in the hand is worth more than 2 in the bush....I'd be terrified of taking the other job and him losing it. But..I'm a play it safe kind of gal. I suppose if you took it, and just saved the full 50% difference of every single paycheck, you could buildup a nice savings buffer...

I don't' know. It's very hard.

Good luck.
The place that he works is actually the BEST place to work in this area in terms of pay. He has a grade 12 education, no post-secondary and makes $32/hour! The job he was at before he was making $23 and that was at a lumber mill that shut down a few years ago and why he lost his job. Before he got hired at his current employer he was unemployed because there was NOBODY hiring but I was working on call but getting full time hours at my job. It was tough for him to get a job at his current employer. The interviews are intense because it required 2 interviews. One interview was in front of four big bosses, then another was a bit more intense. It also required a 3 hour written test and drug test. The hiring process alone took almost 2 months.

If he lost his job, I would be able to work, but I make a bit less than hubby and my work is not guaranteed. Some weeks I could get 40 hours, some I could get zero. Our house payments are relatively low. I'd have to work 3 shifts every two weeks to pay the morgage, but food is quite expensive.

His current job IS union.
 
#15 ·
How would taking the new job support your families values and goals?

Example: For us, taking a job that paid 150K a year, would mean in 2-3 years we will have met our long terms goals of buying a large lot of land and building a house on it. At that time, we could move to said land and house and then be able to work much less. We would be willing to sacrifice some family time to be able to meet this goal sooner.

So for you, how would this new job support your long term family goals?
 
#16 ·
Just being brutally honest, it is highly HIGHLY unlikely that your DH would have many or even any other opportunities to make that level of income. And even union jobs aren't as safe as they once were...there are no guarantees. Moreover, most people who make that $$$$ (lawyers, doctors etc) do work those kinds of hours. I say take the job and save, save, save. GL.
 
#20 ·
wow that's tough! my dh always avoids going salary just because it never pans out, and he knows they will take advantage of him. i was kind of thinking play it safe and say stay at the same job, get some OT and save up then find new careers that don't deal with lead? after seeing these smart folks respond, i agree you need to take into account long term goals and short term- how much can you handle? my dh is at work 15 hours a day, and sometimes i don't even see him. he makes nowhere near that much an hour and it is SO hard (on all of us). i can tell you this after having 4 days off with him it will be so hard for him to be at work-say 30 days straight or even 2 weeks.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Denvergirlie View Post

How would taking the new job support your families values and goals?

Example: For us, taking a job that paid 150K a year, would mean in 2-3 years we will have met our long terms goals of buying a large lot of land and building a house on it. At that time, we could move to said land and house and then be able to work much less. We would be willing to sacrifice some family time to be able to meet this goal sooner.

So for you, how would this new job support your long term family goals?
I think this is a very good way to view the situation. If it were me or my husband, I'd advocate for taking the job. TBH, though, his current job sounds kind of boring to me. I would not do well in a repetitive work environment, so the idea of moving out of that with 1) more engaging work, 2) double the pay, and 3) fewer health problems just seems obvious. It depends on your family's goals, though.

As for salaried jobs, DH & I both have worked salaried positions. I worked way too many hours, but he didn't. Most weeks he works 45 hours or so and only hit 55-60 during really hectic times. So unless shutdowns are common in the lead smeltering industry, I would want to know the reality of the work hours. I'd imagine the 30-days-straight work period was an anomaly.
 
#22 ·
Wow, I would take the job. That is a huge increase. And it sounds like the increased hours are just at times. So, I'd go into it knowing that yes, I might have to do that sometimes, but that it will pass and settle back down to normal again at some point.

Just to reduce the exposure to the lead, even, I would do it. 25 is actually a pretty high level.

Kind of OT but what happened with your renovation? Makes me nervous as we are about to enter into a huge renovation on our 100 year old house, but I am trying to convince DH to sell it and build something small, efficient, and green in the city.
 
#23 ·
That's a very nice salary, even for someone with graduate degrees. My DH is a salaried engineer and works overtime frequently, and he didn't even make 2/3 of that. I'd say give it a try and save like crazy while he's got that job (don't get used to the new level of income). Get all your debts paid off and save up a full year's living expenses. Then if he want to he can switch back to his old job, but then you guys would get ahead financially and feel much more secure with the savings. And if it turned out to be not too stressful and he can manage to do that for a few years, you can probably pay off your entire mortgage or save for early retirement.
 
#24 ·
The lead and the salary alone would make me change jobs in a heart beat. the 2 hrs on 2 hrs off thing would also drive me up a wall. I don't have much experience with unions, but quite a few people have high paying jobs and make there own job security-- your husband must be doing really well at his current place to get such a great job offer.
 
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#25 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by momofmine View Post

Kind of OT but what happened with your renovation? Makes me nervous as we are about to enter into a huge renovation on our 100 year old house, but I am trying to convince DH to sell it and build something small, efficient, and green in the city.
To make a long store short, a company came in, excavated too much soil from our crawl space in the basement and our foundation on our house collapsed. Was supposed to cost us just over $5,000.00 and we are at just over $45,000 out of pocket. Still haven't drywalled or anything, which was included in our original budget. Argh.
 
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